


Thick As Thieves

by blackwatch-jess (KessijaScene)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Explicit Language, Fake AH Crew, Funhaus - Freeform, GTA AU, Gang Wars, Immortal Fake AH Crew, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Sexual Content, Trans Jack Pattillo, Violence, eventual Immortal AU, immortal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:32:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KessijaScene/pseuds/blackwatch-jess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ray disappears without a trace, the Fake AH Crew needs a new guy and fast for the heists they've got coming up. Gavin is furious when Geoff brings someone in hardly a week after Ray vanished. But once they get this Jeremy kid home, Gavin's expectations are thrown out of the window, and he's not really sure how he feels about the newest member of the Crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Too Soon

**Author's Note:**

> This is originally an idea I developed over at my tumblr which is jess-ray-and-vav.tumblr.com
> 
> I liked it so much that I took it and turned it into a full length fic. I'm not sure how many chapters this will be. Probably at most five. But we shall see! Hope you enjoy!!

It was too soon. Way too fucking soon. Gavin slammed both fists on the countertop, standing up so suddenly the barstool beneath him clattered to the ground. His eyes were cold, doing their best to look intimidating to the man in front of him. Geoff looked thoroughly uninterested, putting the bottle of beer to his lips and taking a sip. The rest of the crew snapped their heads up from where they were to watch the exchange.

“Ray’s barely been gone a bloody week,” Gavin snapped, leaning over the kitchen island toward his boss. “And you’ve already got someone? Without even asking us?”

“Last time I checked--” Geoff burped, interrupting himself. “I don’t have to clear _shit_ with you. _I_ run this fucking circus.” He leaned back against the stove. “You don’t really have a say.”

“We need time.” Gavin’s ears were red, and he was shaking with rage; his throat was tight.

“We don’t _have_ time. We’ve got shit planned and we need someone. Ray bailed. Now shut the fuck up, we’re getting him tomorrow. Get out of my face.” Geoff waved him away. Gavin had half a mind to step around the island and beat that goddamn lazy glare off Geoff’s face. He stormed out of the kitchen into the living room, throwing himself onto the couch. He stared up at the tv, trying to relax. Michael was sitting opposite him; he could see him eyeing him from his spot, but he didn’t say anything. He knew Gavin well enough to know when to just let him fume. Ryan was moving in the kitchen to pick up the barstool. Jack had gone back to reviewing the files in her hand in the dining room.

Ryan made his way across the apartment, looking out of the window, Diet Coke in hand. He saw something on the streets below, and a soft chuckle rumbled in his throat; he looked to his right, lips parted to make a comment. His face fell as he stared at the empty air. Gavin watched him the whole time; Ryan just turned back to look out across the city. Bitterness welled in Gavin’s stomach, making him physically sick. He stormed to his room and slammed the door. Ray was their boy, how could he leave? More importantly, how could he do this to _Ryan?_ The Vagabond loved him more than he’d loved anyone his entire life, and Ray had just vanished like he meant nothing, like the _Crew_ meant nothing. And now Geoff had some hot-shot replacement hardly a week later.

There was a knock on his door. He looked up as Ryan walked in silently. Gavin let out a heavy sigh, and the mercenary took it as an invitation to sit. The two had grown close after Ray up and left. Ryan had been wild with grief, and Gavin had been crushed. Michael had been pissed, breaking vases for an hour until Geoff had pulled him against him and let him cry against his chest. Jack was solemn; she’d seen it coming, but it still hurt to see it happen and watch the fall out. She made sure her boys ate and got sleep, but Gavin knew she was taking it as hard as the rest of them.

“I know you’re angry at Geoff,” Ryan finally murmured, breaking Gavin out of his musings. “But, unfortunately, he’s right. We need someone. Big things are going down this week.”

Gavin’s shoulders slumped, and he held his face in his palms. “It just doesn’t seem right.” Ryan rested a hand on his back. “For Christ’s sake, it’s been a week. He didn’t even tell us! Just ‘by the way guys, we’re gettin’ a new guy tomorrow!’ The mingy prick.”

“To be fair, if he’d asked us, we all would have told him ‘no way in hell.’ Then we’d be fighting. Or we’d be shit out of luck on this heist next week.” Ah, Ryan. Ever the voice of reason. “He probably talked it over with Jack. She’s the smartest one here. He’s probably a great guy.”

“He’s not _Ray_ ,” snapped Gavin, wrenching away from Ryan. He stood up and paced his room. Ryan rubbed his face and exhaled.

His voice was hardly a whisper as he said, “Trust me, I know.” Gavin looked over; Ryan looked like he had stopped sleeping. The dark circles under his eyes were heavy purple rings. and his beard was scruffier than usual. His hair was greasy, and Gavin softened. He walked over to Ryan and clapped his hands to his shoulders.

“We’ll find him,” Gavin promised. “Now go shower, you dumb oaf. You smell.” They shared a smile, and Ryan walked out. Gavin laid back down, smile falling as soon as the door closed. He pressed his palms into his eye sockets. Anger was still burning in his belly.

From the living room he heard Michael yell, “Hey, asshole, The Walking Dead is doing reruns, come watch!” A smile slid across his face, and he rolled off the bed, heading for the room just trying to forget.

* * *

 

“Geoffrey, remind me why I shouldn’t kick your teeth in?”

Gavin was boiling again. His arms were folded tight across his chest,  glaring at Geoff from the back seat of the car. He was absolutely livid with his boss, and he was making no effort at all to hide it. Gavin spun his rings around on his fingers as a distraction. Michael rolled his eyes from the passenger’s seat, turning to look into the back of the car.

“Play nice,” scolded Michael, though the tone in his voice made him think he agreed that it probably wasn’t best to bring Gavin along.

“Well, Gavin, one reason is I pay you,” quipped Geoff as he gripped the steering wheel. “And two, because I’d fucking murder your dumbass if you tried. And three, shut the fuck up.”

Michael laughed, and Gavin rolled his eyes. The only reason Mogar was taking his side and not Gavin’s was because he had heart eyes for the kingpin. Gavin fake gagged, and Michael reached back to swat his boy, causing Gavin to grin and lean into Jack to escape the assault. She pushed him back playfully, bumping into Ryan. And so it quickly turned into a slap fight with Geoff barking at everyone to stop so he could stay on the road. When they calmed down, Geoff was grumbling about traffic while the rest of the car roared with laughter at the stupid ‘what ifs’ Gavin was throwing at Michael and his screams of protest at how dumb the questions were. It hadn’t been this normal since they’d lost Ray, and god, it was such a nice change, they’d almost forgotten why they were pulling up to the Los Santos airport.

“Wait, wot?” Gavin said, slapping Michael away. “Why are we--oh. Right.” The scowl immediately took over the Brit’s face. Michael reached behind him and punched Gavin’s shoulder with a little more force than intended.

“Hey!” Michael growled. “Just shut the fuck up. You don’t gotta speak.” There was a spark in his eyes that showed everyone he meant what he was saying. “Keep your goddamn mouth closed, let us do the talking. Got it?” Mogar was baring his teeth, mentally prepping for a fight with Gavin if he wanted to be Sergeant Dickhole today.

“Whatever,” mumbled Gavin, squinting. He knew when he was defeated. Ryan reached around Jack and mussed up the Brit’s hair.

“You see him?” Geoff asked, tossing his head toward Jack. She leaned up over the console, looking across the sea of people exiting and entering the airport. Michael was propped up on the dash, searching as well.

“That looks like him,” she muttered, pointing towards a short, stocky guy in a cowboy hat and shades.

Ryan snorted, muttering, “Kind of an odd getup.”

“Didn’t you say he’s from Austin though?” Michael asked. “Maybe they wear weird shit like that in the south.”

“Nah.” Geoff was pulling the car around. “From Massachusetts, but he was living in Austin when we got up with him.”

“Blending in with all them Confederates,” Jack drawled in a fake southern accent.

Michael shouted, “Yeehaw!” Gavin could barely hold in his snickering.

“Alright, assholes, everyone out. Time to meet ’n’ greet.” Geoff put the car in park and unlocked the doors. “Gavin, be fucking nice.” He received some non-committal mumbles from the backseat. Close enough. Geoff stepped out of the car and adjusted his suit and bowtie. He strutted over to the guy currently typing on his phone. “Dooley?”

The guy finished his message, and he looked up. “Ramsey?” he asked cautiously, pocketing his phone.

Geoff offered him a lopsided grin and his hand. “The one and only. Nice meetin’ ya, kid. Jeremy, right? And call me Geoff.”

Jeremy took it and nodded. “Yup. Pleasure, sir.” Manners. Geoff could get used to that. His assholes didn’t know ‘please’ from ‘thank you.’

“Pleasure’s mine. You’ve spoken with Jack.” She gave a him a smile, sticking out her hand and shaking it hard. “This is Michael.” He gave him a nod and a smirk. “That’s the Vagabond.” Ryan did nothing, just folded his arms. “And Gavin.” The Brit in question was trying his goddamn hardest not to burst out laughing. This guy was like three feet tall compared to the rest of them, and he was losing it internally. But better to stay quiet or risk getting pummeled by Michael or Geoff...or both. “Cheers,” he managed to mutter, smile on his face where he was poorly concealing his amusement.

“So let’s get you back to base. We’ll brief you on the shit that’s gonna go down, get you equipped, and ya know, go get hammered in celebration after.” Geoff reached up and snapped his fingers. Ryan marched forward, picked up Jeremy’s bags, and started loading them into the back of the car. Michael was making small talk with Jeremy while Jack spoke with Geoff about living arrangements for the new kid. Finally, Gavin couldn’t hold back anymore.

“How’s a guy like you get into a business like this?” he asked, cracking a smirk at the stranger. Michael narrowed his eyes, rolling up his sleeves; Jeremy looked over at Gavin and gave a quick laugh.

“Yeah, size matters in this world,” joked Jeremy. Geoff snorted. “It’s been tough. Bet that guy had it _much_ easier than me.” He jerked his thumb at Ryan who was hulking nearby; the Vagabond rolled his eyes and grinned. He wasn’t wrong. “I’ve got the skills to pay the bills, though, and once you prove that, nobody cares that you’re a subatomic particle.”

 _That_ had everybody roaring. Michael had thrown his head back and was positively cackling, clutching a snickering Jack for support. Geoff was wiping his eyes, and Ryan was giggling manically off to the side. Gavin’s laugh had turned into a squeak, and then Jeremy was laughing, and it just slid into their odd little song like the perfect harmony that had been missing. It took them a full minute to stop laughing, because inevitably someone would squawk or choke on their laughter and it would start up a new wave of giggles.

“Alright, you fucking dorks,” said Geoff through his laughs. “Get in the car. Two of you take the outside, I don’t care who. Let’s go home.”

Geoff slid into the driver’s seat, Michael jumped in the passenger’s side. In the back clambered Jack and Jeremy. Gavin latched onto the right side of the car and Ryan on the left. They looked over the roof of the car at each other.

“Kid’s pretty alright, huh?” mouthed Ryan. Gavin let himself smile weakly.

“He’s okay.” They were silent the rest of the ride. Occassionaly, Michael would roll down his window and ask if they were alright. Gavin only lost his footing once, but otherwise they were fine. The wind whipping through his hair soothed him. And it gave him time to think. This new guy wasn’t awful. He wasn’t a cocky son of bitch looking to make a name or be some big-time criminal. He was just a kid looking for a job, and he found one. But it still felt like he was elbowing in where he didn’t belong, trying to be someone he just wasn’t. Well, to Gavin it felt like that. Stealing a few glances at Ryan, Gavin could see he wasn’t bothered by Jeremy’s presence. The Vagabond was smiling, closing his eyes and letting the wind and sun comb him over. The grief was still painted on his face, and Gavin knew nothing would ever fix that hole in his heart Ray left, but he wasn’t pissed like Gavin was. And that stung, because now Gavin felt alone; if Ryan wasn’t angry, did Gavin have a right to be?

The Brit let out a frustrated sigh. He could figure it out later. The car came to a halt outside the apartment complex. Everyone hopped out, and Geoff leaned out of the window saying, “I’ll be up in a second, let me park her. Crack open some drinks, and Jackie, start setting up Open Haus. We need to fill Jeremy in.” Jack nodded, and they all packed into the elevator. Jeremy shrugged the jacket off his shoulders before stepping in; Gavin caught himself staring at his arms with wide eyes. This kid was ripped, and Gavin had to peel his gaze away from Jeremy. He swallowed heavily, chastising himself for getting caught up in his looks. He practically bolted from the elevator when he got the chance.

He sat himself down at the bar, calling, “Micoo, you heard Geoffrey, make some drinks!” He drummed on the countertops, bouncing in his seat.

“Alright, you needy fuck! Calm down!” Michael shoved him as he walked by, rolling his eyes. He poured whiskey for Geoff, and he set it to the side.

“Micoo, your boyfriend isn’t even up here!” he whined. “I just want a beer!”

“Oh my _god_ , shut the fuck up!” snapped Michael good-naturedly. “Jack, you want anything?”

“Whatever you get Gavin,” she called from the map of Los Santos. She was placing red pins and sticky notes across the board, marking coordinates for the Open Haus Heist. “As long as it’s nothing too hard. I have work to do tonight.”

“Yes ma’am,” Michael dug two beers from the fridge and two Cokes. He set them on the counter. “Jeremy, anything for you?”

“A beer, please. Thank you.” Jeremy was slowly wandering around the main area of the penthouse, taking everything in. Gavin threw his eyebrows up, surprised at the kindness in his voice. Michael caught his eye, brows knitted together and lower lip stuck out in approval as he nodded. He dug two more beers out and popped the caps off all four. Michael slid one down to Gavin and took a swig from his own. He walked the two other bottles to Jack and Jeremy respectively.

“Here you go, Rye,” said Michael, handing him one can of Coke. He looked at the other in his hand, and his expression shifted from cheery to blank. Ryan’s soul shattered all over again.

“Thanks, Michael,” he murmured, turning back to the window. Michael sighed, and he walked the coke back to the kitchen, setting it by Geoff’s glass. Maybe he’d want it with his whiskey. Gavin looked at the Diet Coke can with sad eyes. Every time they thought they were doing fine, something brought Ray back into the picture and broke them again. Gavin shot a glance at Jeremy, annoyed by his presence all of a sudden.

“It’s fucking quiet in here,” shouted Geoff as he walked into the room, slamming the door behind him. “Liven up, shitheads.” He strutted into the kitchen and picked up the Diet Coke, snapping the top and pouring it into his whiskey. He snaked an arm around Michael’s waist and pulled him close, kissing his temple. “Thanks, asshat.”

“You’re welcome, you old fuckin’ fart.” Michael grinned, pulling away and taking another drink. Geoff rolled his eyes and marched over to Jack’s map.

“Got everything set up?” he asked her. She scanned it one more time before nodding. “Alright, boys, come on over.”

Michael flopped down on the couch, beer nearly splashing onto the couch. Gavin sauntered over and stood behind him. Much to his disdain, Jeremy stood beside Gavin, their arms almost touching with how close he was. Ryan stepped away from the window and sat beside Michael, toasting his beer with his Coke can.

“Alright,” Jack started. “The rest of you pretty much know how this is going. But Jeremy, we’ve gotta get you briefed.” Jeremy nodded in understanding. “The Fake AH Crew is having an...issue. Another gang moved in about a year ago under the name Funhaus. Didn’t really make a huge splash, started off like we did. Petty robbery, a couple assaults, nothing major. Recently, they’ve gotten stronger, added a lot of people, started getting brave. They’ve started really taking control of the northern part of the city. Which would be fine--”

“But the cocky little cumstains are moving in on our turf,” growled Geoff, swirling his drink in his glass.

“They’ve started hitting places in our high-traffic areas,” Jack explained, shooting Geoff her signature ‘do you fucking mind’ look. “The docks, namely. We’ve never had problems letting them bring ships in and what not, so long as it wasn’t when we were there, and they didn’t fuck with our stuff. But they’ve gotten bold and they’re trying to take control of the place.” Jeremy’s eyebrows shot up. Gavin was watching him more than he’d like to admit. “So, next week, we’ve got plans to send them a message. We’re hitting places near their base, because they don’t realize we know where they stay.” Jack points to the red pins in a circle around the black ‘x’ sharpied on the map. “Mogar is going rob a gas station they fill up at a lot, Geoff is hitting a bar they like to go to, shit like that. Then they’ll hide out, let the cops move on and hit two more places. While they’ve got the cops chasing their tails, Gavin is taking on the Ammu-nation around the corner.” She pointed at a red pin on the right side of the ‘x’. “The manager sells them powerful shit on the low and keeps quiet for them. Gav’s gonna show the manager a bit of the Fake AH treatment. You’re going to be set up across the street. It’s a vacant building. You’ll be inside on the first floor, keeping eyes on Gavin and anyone passing by. Take out anyone that sees anything, and keep Gavin alive. We’ll plant a getaway vehicle in the alley. You two get out ASAP once the store is cleared and we’ll meet you on the beach.” She dragged her finger to a place marked with blue pins.

Jeremy nodded. “Sounds good.” Gavin wasn’t sure how he felt about the new guy being in charge of keeping him alive.

“Good,” muttered Geoff. “You’ve got a week to prepare.” He jerked his chin toward Ryan. “Show him what you’ve got for him.”

Ryan stood and walked into the hall, gone for a moment, then back again with guns slung over his shoulders, on his hips, and in his hands. “Pistols,” he murmured, low and dark. Probably trying to keep up the ‘Vagabond’ act until this kid knew him better. Jeremy didn’t seem phased in the least, and Gavin had to admit it was impressive. He took the handguns and looked them over. “Pick one.” Jeremy chose a revolver. Unassuming and unimpressive. Gavin rolled his eyes. Ryan handed him his AK and his rifle, both completely decked out and deadly.

“Thank you. I brought my rifle, too, is that alright?” Jeremy looked to Geoff who sputtered on his drink.

“You got a rifle through airport security?” he questioned.

Jeremy grinned, flashing pretty white teeth that made Gavin a little weak in the knees. “That’s not all.” He reached down and lifted his pant leg, revealing a large hunting knife. He swiveled and lifted the other, showing a small pistol stuck to his calf. Everyone was silent, and everyone was impressed. “I know some neat party tricks.” Jeremy looked extremely pleased with himself. He reached into his back pocket, and he removed a wallet. He opened it and started to announced, “Gavin David Free, credit card number, 7214 dash 8745--”

“Wot! When the hell did you get that?!” Gavin lunged for his wallet and ripped it from Jeremy’s hands. He rifled through the contents to confirm nothing was stolen.

“Few minutes ago. During the explanation.” Jeremy shrugged, but he couldn’t hide the mischievous glint in his eye. “Sorry, just figured it’d be handy to show off my skill set a little.” He winked at Gavin, and _oh god,_ that should _not_ be turning his brain into mush.

Geoff was cackling. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he crowed. “Hold onto your shit, we’ve got a little thief in our midst. Welcome aboard, Jeremy.”

And then they disbanded, drinking and chatting. But Gav was done for the day. He finished his beer and grabbed another. He made a few passing comments as he walked to his room. He didn’t close the door as he laid down on the bed, bottle loose in his fingers as it hung over the edge of the bed. Hearing Michael and Geoff laughing together like lovesick schoolgirls made him smile. He could even hear Ryan and Jack snickering at whatever they were talking about. Gavin loved his family. And he supposed that’s why it hurt so much that Ray had just... _gone_. They were a family. He missed Ryan and Ray laid up together on the couch. He missed Ray’s almost cartoon-like laugh ringing through the house. He missed his sarcastic comments over their comms. And this Jeremy kid was just coming in like he didn’t have to earn this spot in their family.

But Gavin wasn’t expecting... _this_ . This sweet guy who says ‘please’ and ‘sir’ without a second thought, but can sneak weapons through the Los Santos airport like it isn’t even a challenge. This kid with laughter like sunshine and warm eyes, but has arms that could snap you in fucking half. This sweetheart that would probably give you the shirt off his back, but not before he robbed you blind without you ever even knowing. Who the _hell_ did he think he was?

There was a knock on his door. Gavin groaned and sat up from where he was laying on the bed. He cradled his beer and looked up, shocked to see Jeremy in the doorway. “Uh, hi.”

“Hey,” he said softly. He took a drink from his own beer. “Since we’re going to be working together next week, figured I should get to know you a little better.”

Gavin laid back down, rolling his eyes as he lifted the beer to his lips. “Not really in the mood,” he mumbled around the bottle. He took a few good swigs before letting it drop.

“Okay. How about tomorrow?” he asked.

“Mm-mm. Doing recon.”

“How about the day after?” Jeremy was clearly not budging.

“Going on a run to the docks.” Gavin couldn’t help but steal a glance at Jeremy. His shoulder was pressed into the frame, beer in his fist. The other hand was shoved in the pocket of his jeans. He looked like he’d done this a hundred times, and that made Gavin’s stomach flip, especially when his muscles flexed with his movements. He scolded himself.

“I’ll go with you. Need to get a feel for the place, and we can talk on the way.” Jeremy strutted over and caught Gavin’s gaze. “Look, man, I get you’re feeling like I’m encroaching since your buddy left. But we better get used to working together.” Gavin was slightly shocked at his forward nature. “So I’m going with you the day after tomorrow. What time is the pick-up?”

“Three.” Gavin was dumbfounded.

“Alright. I’ll be ready by two-thirty.” Jeremy winked at him again, and Gavin bit down on his tongue. “See you then, boss.” And he left. Gavin glared at the doorway as he left and continued to stare for several minutes.

This fucking kid was going to be the death of him.


	2. Weak Knees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is packed full of emotions. Hope you guys enjoy!

The so-called “recon” Gavin had mentioned to Jeremy last night was unofficial business. He just wanted to get Jeremy off his case. In hindsight, he probably should have made up something better; if Jeremy mentioned his “recon” to Geoff, he’d be in a world of hurt. Gav typed a few things into his laptop, bringing up an interface showing the feeds of several security cameras. With a single click they went dark, and Gavin smiled.

“Alright, Rye, head in. Cameras are offline,” he muttered into his headset. The Vagabond didn’t answer, but not long after, Gavin peeked over the edge of the roof and saw him round the corner and head into the smoke shop. It was a place Ray often went to, and Ryan was prepared to get answers tonight. They had been ordered to stop looking for Ray several days ago, but no way in hell were they about to give up. He could practically hear Geoff bitching now if he found out they were here. Gavin flicked his gaze across the city, watching the sun starting to go down with a heavy exhale. It’d be a nice night to just relax, play games with Michael and knock back a few beers. But it wasn’t fair to Ray to give up on him. So if he had to sacrifice a few free days, that was fine by him.

A few minutes later and static crackled on the headset. Ryan said, “He was here yesterday.” At those words, Gavin’s heart stalled in his chest. “Guy behind the counter said he didn’t buy much. So he’s still in the city and not trying to leave.”

“How do you know that for sure?” Gavin asked, a little skeptical.

“I know, Ray.” There was a hint of venom to the Vagabond’s voice, whether from Ray slipping through their fingers or from Gav’s questioning he wasn’t sure. “He would have stocked up if he were leaving town.”

“Did he say if he mentioned anything else?”

“Said he asked Ray where I was, because I like to come with him. Ray got real funny about it and left.” The confirmation that Ray was still in the city had set Gavin’s nerves on fire. He was itching to run, to find his boy. He was hopeful again, the newfound determination crackling like electricity. The Vagabond muttered, “We know he’s here somewhere. We’ve gotta find him.”

“Where else would he go?” He was watching Ryan pull the car around as he packed up his gear.

“I...I don’t know.” He sighed. “I can only think he’s holed up with Kerry, maybe.” Shawcross was an informant, and an occasional hacker for the Fake AH Crew. Smart kid, but he generally stayed out of the Fakes business, only doing some side jobs for them. Geoff respected him enough to leave it at that. Ray liked Kerry, and they usually hung out on weekends when Ray was free.

“Want me to ring him?” Gav asked. He slung his backpack over his shoulders, and he started down the fire escape.

“Might as well.”

Once Gavin was on the ground, he fished his phone from his pocket and pulled up Kerry’s contact information. He hesitated, then asked Ryan, “Home or cell?”

“Fucking….I don’t know? Cell? Why the hell would you ask me that?”

“He’s  _ your  _ boyfriend’s mate, I just thought maybe you would know which was better to reach him at!” Gavin shouted back, shoulders shrugging up indignantly.

“Jesus--cell phone! Who even uses a home phone anymore?”

“Alright! Bloody hell, so defensive…” Gavin rolled his eyes, tapping the second number under Kerry’s contact. It rang a few times, and then Kerry picked up. “Shawcross, got a second?”

“Sure, what’s up Gav? Need my skills tonight?” He could hear a tv in the background.

“No, unofficial business question. Have you seen Ray recently?” There some scrambling, and then suddenly the television clicked off.

“Sorry, what’d you say? Had a movie going.”

“You seen Ray?” Gavin repeated, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Nah, I saw him, probably about...two weeks ago? After you guys’s last bank job. Why, what’s up?”

“Dammit.” Gavin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just...ring me if he shows up at your door, alright? Or Ryan?”

Kerry was quiet for a minute, and Gavin could tell he wanted to ask questions. However, he clearly decided against it, because all he said was, “Yeah, sure. I’ll let you know.”

“Cheers.” Gavin hung up the phone, and he swore under his breath. He glanced up and saw Ryan had pulled up to the alley; he walked over, climbing into the car. “Nothin’.”

Ryan sighed and let his head fall forward to hit the steering wheel with a solid  _ thump _ . “Goddammit, where  _ is  _ he?”

“Well, at least we learned he’s still in the city.” Gavin gently rested a hand on Ryan’s arm. He knew he’d never outright say it, but Ryan was devastated from Ray’s disappearance. When the Vagabond had joined the crew, most of them were intimidated by his size and reputation. But Ray just plopped down beside him on the couch and asked if he liked Mario Kart and if he wanted to play. Ryan nodded, and Ray passed him a controller. It quickly turned into a nightly activity. While the rest of the Crew was getting drunk, Ray and Ryan killed a twelve-pack of sodas and raced into the early morning. They would lay together in silence on their days off. Ryan would be reading, Ray on his DS. Sometimes, they heard him reading to Ray when he couldn’t sleep. It only made sense when they got together. You couldn’t pry those two apart. Gavin looked over and saw the Vagabond’s face weary and looking much older than he remembered it. His heart twisted at the pain in his brother’s eyes.

“We’re going to find him,” affirmed Gavin quietly. “We’re getting closer.” He paused.  “We’ll  _ find  _ him.”

Ryan sat up, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. “I hope you’re right. Wanna call it for tonight?”

“I think it’d be best.” Gav leaned back in his seat. “Let’s get some drinks for the Crew. Geoff won’t ask if we bring back whiskey.”

Ryan grinned at that. “Clever girl.” He shifted gears and pulled away, heading to the liquor store down the block. There were a few beats of comfortable silence before Ryan cleared his throat and asked, “So, hey, how are you doing with this Jeremy guy?” Gavin tensed. “I know you weren’t exactly throwing him a welcoming party.”

“Yeah.” Gavin folded his arms and slumped down in his seat. There was a pout on his lips and his eyebrows were furrowed. “I dunno, he’s.... _ weird _ .”

A small smirk played at the corner of Ryan’s lips. “Weird, how?”

“I don’t know!” Gav snapped, frustrated at himself more than Ryan. “He doesn’t deserve to be here.” The anger in his voice convinced Ryan that Gavin truly believed that. After a moment, Gavin’s shoulders fell from their defensive stance. “But...I suppose there could be worse replacements.” Ryan grinned widely, and Gav snapped his gaze to him. “Wot?”

“You think he’s cute.”

“No I don’t!” shrieked Gavin, flailing in his seat.

“Oh, you absolutely do!” Ryan was cackling, barely keeping the car moving in a straight line. He swerved into the parking lot suddenly, throwing Gavin into the passenger door. “Gavvy’s got the hots for the new kid!” he sang.

Gavin was fuming. “I do not! He’s an okay guy, that’s all I meant, you twat!” Gav’s face was bright red. “Go!” He was attempting to push Ryan out of the car.

“Come with me!” Ryan still had a smug look on his face and Gavin rained his fists down on his arm.

“No, I held this place up last time! Now  _ go! _ ” Gavin slammed the door shut behind Ryan. He walked in front of the car and gestured for him to follow. Gavin shook his head and protested by sinking down as far as he could, to where his eyes could barely been seen over the dash. Ryan sighed and walked into the liquor store. Once the coast was clear, Gav wiggled back up to a sitting position and pursed his lips.

Alright, so he could admit Jeremy was nice to look at. He’d caught himself yesterday checking out his muscles, sure. But that was it. Just a bit of friendly admiration. Not that he should be friendly with him at all, really, he was just a replacement. And he could admit that he was charming. That could prove useful in the Crew. And yeah, he was attractive, but Gavin had only noticed it aesthetically speaking. Okay, and his laugh was really nice to listen to.

“Christ,” Gavin grumbled. “Get it together, boy! You’re losin’ your damn mind over some kid!” He rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut. “He’s just Ray’s replacement. Once we find Ray, then he’ll be gone.”

Ryan opened the door, spooking Gavin enough to make him squawk. Bottles clinked together, and a plastic bag rustled. As he slid in, he passed it to Gavin who gathered it in his lap. “Oh nice one, Rye!” He lifted a bottle out and watched the harsh overhead lights illuminate the amber liquid. He looked down. “ _ Two _ bottles?! Geoffrey isn’t going to remember his own name, much less to ask us where we’ve been!”

Ryan laughed as he backed the car out of the parking lot and started for home. “That’s the plan.”

* * *

 

Gavin’s alarm went off at one thirty the next afternoon. He groaned, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes before reaching over to snooze the clock. Geoff had been over the moon when they brought back the whiskey, and they’d started drinking at around six. They drank through dinner and well into the night. He vaguely remembered Geoff and Michael making a sloppy exit at around two in the morning. Ryan, ever the sober patrol, had been sneakily switching out drinks with water to keep everyone from getting too sick. But Gavin was certain, if the others felt anything like he did, that Rye’s tricks didn’t make one goddamn difference.

His clock went off again, and he winced, slamming the snooze button and then reaching down to rip the plug out of the wall. Gavin let out a low whine as he curled in on himself. His head was pounding, and he was worried he might throw up. He called for the one person he knew was awake and would not cuff him on the ear.

“Ryaaaan…” he croaked. “Rye-bread…”

He could hear the Vagabond’s footsteps through the apartment, and he heard his door open with a soft click. Ryan said nothing, just reached down and opened Gavin’s hand; he dropped three pills in his palm and slapped a cold, wet rag on his head. “Water’s beside you. Hurry up, you’ve got the docks today.” Then he left. Gavin tossed the pills into his mouth. When they clicked against his teeth, it sounded much louder than usual, and he whimpered. He took a swig from the water bottle and realized he was, in fact, dying from dehydration; he downed the bottle and tossed it away, smoothing the rag over his face with his other hand. With a heavy sigh, he decided to climb out of bed and immediately regretted that decision. His stomach felt like it was rising in his throat, and Gav slapped his hand across his mouth. He shuffled to his closet, stripping out of yesterday’s clothes and into new ones. He looked down at his sunglasses while he slid his rings on before finally slipping them over his eyes. They would help with his light sensitivity anyway. He kicked his shoes on as he walked to the bathroom, spiking his hair and brushing his teeth.

There was a knock on the bathroom door, and he looked up before nearly swallowed his toothbrush. Jeremy was standing in his doorway, leaning against the frame shirtless with hands in his pockets. Gavin was sure his eyes were wide as saucers, but he didn’t remember everything from last night and now Jeremy was topless in his room. That was panicking him a little.

“Hey, just wanted to check on you,” Jeremy said. Either he didn’t notice that Gavin was bug-eyed or he was completely ignoring it. “You got pretty messed up last night. Wanted to make sure we were still on for today.”

Gavin mumbled around his toothbrush, “Mmhm, ‘m fuhn. Schtill good.” He gave him a thumbs-up just in case Jeremy couldn’t quite translate his gibberish.

He grinned and laughed a little, making Gavin nearly choke. “Alright, sweet. I gotta go shower. Meet you downstairs in a bit?” Gav nodded dumbly. Jeremy gave a little wave before turning around and heading out. Gavin stared after him, head swimming from the hangover and from Jeremy’s presence. He shook it off and quickly cleaned up, scooping his keys and wallet up on his way out.

“Morning, everybody,” he called as he wandered into the kitchen. There were a few groans in response. Michael was half-asleep on the couch and growled audibly at Gavin. Geoff was nursing a beer. (“Hey it helps with hangovers!”) Ryan was watching them all with pitiless eyes. Jack was back to work, sipping black coffee. She offered Gav a smile. Jeremy was nowhere to be seen, so Gavin assumed he was still showering. Not that he cared.

“How’s everyone?” He shoved a cup under the single-serve coffee brewer and started it. While it ran the hot water into the mug, he fished out a tea bag from the cabinets.

“Fuck you,” Michael rasped from the couch. Gavin snickered, dipping the tea bag into his cup.

“Cheers, Mogar.” He took a sip. The tea warmed him and he shivered. “So what am I getting from the docks, exactly?”

“I’ve told you,” Geoff muttered, looking up with dead eyes. “Twelve fucking times. _ At least. _ And you have the goddamn nerve to ask me that?”

Gavin smiled over his mug. “Yup.”

“You’re a cunt. You’re fucking fired.” Geoff took a sip of his beer in an attempt to distract himself from killing Gavin. “For the  _ thirteenth  _ time...you are going to pick up a weapons shipment and just show yourself around the place. Gotta make sure those Funhaus pricks know we run that joint. Got it, asswipe?”

“Got it.” Gavin was grinning at Geoff who was shaking his head while he stared back. His head was beginning to stop throbbing, and the tea was soothing his aching stomach. He checked his watch: almost two thirty. They would need to leave soon. He looked up and saw Jeremy strut into the room. His hair was slightly damp; he’d changed into a t-shirt, and Gavin wasn’t really sure how he’d gotten into it. He was certain that if Jeremy flexed his muscles, it’d rip off like a cartoon.

“Hey, ready to go?” Jeremy asked, breaking Gavin out of his thoughts. He chugged the rest of his tea and grabbed a granola bar to eat later.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Gavin lazily waved to the Crew as he started for the door. “Catch you later, boys. Try not to miss me too much.”

“Fuck _you!”_ Michael snarled. Gavin laughed as he slammed the door. A muffled ‘goddammit’ from Michael could be heard.

“You always so charming?” Jeremy joked, nudging him with his elbow.

Gavin shot him a grin. “Of course! These idiots wouldn't be the same without me.” He pulled his keys out from his pocket as they stepped into the elevator. “They’re just grumpy.”

“Everyone got pretty shit-faced last night,” mused Jeremy. “I’m surprised you bounced back as quick as you did. You got pretty hammered. Geoff, I get, but you?”

Gavin shrugged. “Always been quick to recover. I’ll admit, it was rough this morning. But give me ten minutes and medication, and I’ll be alright. But if you think that’s impressive, you should see Geoff. He’ll drink you under the table and be golden the next morning, the drunk bastard.” He rolled his eyes, and Jeremy grinned. Gavin’s lips twitched reflexively in a smile. “What about you? You must of stopped drinking early.”

“Yeah, I was done at around ten, I think.” Jeremy pursed his lips slightly in thought. The elevator opened up, and they stepped out and headed toward the exit.“I hung out until I sobered up. I left after a few rounds of Mario Kart.”

Gavin frowned as he pushed the glass door open, turning toward the parking lot. “We played Mario Kart?” Jeremy tilted his head back and laughed, making Gavin weak in the knees.

“Yeah, you did.” Jeremy was shaking his head, smiling. His eyes twinkled, amused, and Gav was dizzy with delight. “Michael had just finished a beer and was yelling, ‘Guys! Lllllet’s play!’”

Gavin’s smile faltered a little. “Yeah, it’s something we say every time we game together. It was something Ray started while the Crew was still really getting it’s shit together. Now it's something we just say, ya know? Before a job, inevitably someone will hop on the comm and shout ‘Let's heist!’” Gavin shook his head, smiling to himself. “Just our thing.”

Jeremy gave him a warm smile. “It's cool.” Gavin ducked his head, avoiding his gaze. He spotted his car and pranced over to it, unlocking it and sliding in. He turned the key and relished in the engine roaring to life. Jeremy threw his eyebrows up before he climbed in. “Nice ride.”

“Nah,” said Gavin. “You should see my bike. And Mogar’s Lambo? All over chrome. Bloody gorgeous. And Geoff’s got the Achievement Mobile. Wooden interior and leather seats!” He leaned up and patted the dash. “This one’s just a cruiser. She gets the job done, but our real toys are rarely out to play.”

“How come?”

Gavin put his arm around the back of Jeremy’s seat, turning to watch as he backed out of his parking space. “Geoff’s worried. He thinks they cops will tail us. Which they will. But he’s got to understand, the law enforcement can’t really do anything against us.” Gavin turned back around and shifted gears, pulling out of the garage and into the street. “We’ve got people in high places. Feds. Sure, the SWAT team gets sent out here, but that’s all for show. You wouldn’t believe where we have people. They’re the ones keeping us off the ‘most wanted’ lists.”

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “Why not get someone in the police department here?” he asked. “Sure, you’ve got people at the top, but the way I see it, it’d be even better to have control of the whole ladder.”

“We’ve thought about it. In fact, we were starting to really discuss it just before this Funhaus crew started in on us.” He swung a hard right, earning several honks from other drivers. “So now we’ve gotta deal with these gimps before we can make progress elsewhere. Which I’m sure is part of their plan.” Gav narrowed his eyes at the thought. “But we’ll put ‘em in their place.”

Silence hung in the air after that. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. Gav was just focused on the road, weaving in and out of traffic. After a bit, Jeremy rolled down his window and stuck his hand out, moving it in a wave-like motion. He smiled, the sun warming his face. Gavin looked over at him, and it made his stomach flutter to see him so content. Jeremy turned and caught his gaze, grinning at him. Gavin hesitantly smiled back and focused back on the road.

“So how’d you end up here?”

Gav was a little surprised by the question, but he launched into an answer nonetheless: “Long story short, I was a real prick. I used to be a petty hacker, and I got into this guy’s laptop one night. He thought I was after his like top secret plans for his American gang or whatever. But I just was closing tabs and moving windows around, just generally giving him a hell of a time. We ended up talking through shitty drawings in the paint program.”

“Lemme guess: Michael?”

He grinned. “Damn right. Well, after seeing how easy I got into his stuff, he told Geoff who got back to me and offered me a job. At the time, I didn’t really have anything going for me, so I said ‘to hell with it’ and came here. Made my place in the Crew, and now here I am.” Gavin propped his elbow on his door and rested his head in his palm. “What about you?”

“I mean, I’ve been working jobs for crews in Austin for a few years. RT was one that kept me busy with off jobs. They didn’t want me full time and I was fine with that. They paid good, and they were nice guys. But I guess they know you guys pretty well, and they heard you needed a new sniper. So here I am.”

“Geoff didn’t tell us all that,” he murmured. “He only mentioned it the day before we picked you up that we were even hiring a new kid.”

“Oh.” Jeremy looked a little surprised. “I didn’t mean to step on any toes. Jack got in contact with me almost a week ago, but I was finishing up some jobs for RT. I just thought you guys knew.”

Almost a week ago. So they’d had Jeremy under contract hardly two days after Ray disappeared. Anger coiled in Gavin’s stomach. “No,” Gav muttered through clenched teeth. “We didn’t.”

The ride was silent for a while as Gav fumed in silence. Jeremy watched the city fly by. Finally, he turned to face Gavin and opened his mouth. However, he didn’t say anything. He turned away instead and closed his eyes.

“We’re here.” Gavin turned the car off, popping the trunk. He stepped out of the car, and Jeremy scrambled out after him. He saluted a man with hair almost as unkempt as Geoff’s. “Joel, how’s it going?”

“It goes. Got your shipment here.” He pointed his pen at two crates. “Everything’s in place.” He went back to scribbling on a clipboard. “Those Funhaus guys haven’t been back.”

“Good.” Gav leaned down and picked up a crate; Jeremy grabbed the other, and they walked back to the car, packing them into the trunk. Gav slammed it shut, and he said, “Alright, thanks Caboose. Ring us if you see ‘em.”

“Will do!”

“Cheers, mate!”

The two got back in the car. Smiles faded. The air was cold. Gavin was still before he quietly said, “Jeremy.” The other man looked up. “When did Geoff contact you about a job?”

Jeremy fidgeted. There was an awkward pause, as he tried to choose his words. Finally he blurted, “Two weeks ago.”

Everything started to move in slow motion. His blood ran hot, and his vision started to shake. “Two weeks ago,” he echoed.

“He told me a position was opening up soon.” Jeremy knew he’d fucked up by telling Gavin the truth. Hell was about to break loose in the AH home. “That he was going to need a new guy, but I’d have to wait for his signal to fly down.”

Gavin cranked the car, and threw it in reverse. He peeled away from the docks and flew down the highway, murder in his eyes for Geoff Ramsey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Next chapter should be interesting, shouldn't it?


	3. Bruises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot goes down! How will it all turn out?

The ride back to the apartment was heavy. Jeremy watched the other cars as Gavin raced past. He should’ve kept his goddamn mouth shut, but he had no right lying to Gavin about his friend. The Brit had been frantically searching for Ray since he’d disappeared, and he deserved to know that his friend was fine. But now Gavin was grinding his teeth, face twisted with rage. Jeremy’s heart sank as he saw a tinge of red on the tip of Gav’s nose. Was he crying?

“Gavin…” he started quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” He said nothing, gripping the steering wheel harder until his knuckles turned white. Jeremy pressed his lips into a thin line, not really knowing what to say but wanting to comfort him. Nobody liked being lied to, especially not by someone you considered your family. And if the Crew was nothing else, it was a big damn family. Jeremy saw how much they all cared for one another. It moved you when you saw the love these people had for each other. Jeremy reached up on instinct and gripped the gold cross around his neck, closing his eyes; the metal was cool in his palm and steadied him.

“You believe in that?” Gavin asked, having taken notice of Jeremy’s actions. He looked down at the cross in his hand.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “Yeah, I do.”

Gavin looked over at him then back at the road. “Must be nice.”

They fell back into silence. It was uncomfortable, but Jeremy just kept thumbing the lines of the cross. He tried to take note of the roads Gavin was taking to get back to the penthouse, but he was flying through the streets so most of the signs were green and white blurs. As they rode, some of the buildings became more familiar until they rounded the corner and were in front of the complex. The sight of the building seemed to relight the flame in Gavin’s gut, because he bared his teeth as he hunched over the wheel. Gav screeched to a halt by the sidewalk and clicked his car off, nearly throwing himself into the door to escape. Jeremy got out slower and shut his door with care. The other man was already in the building when he locked it, and Jeremy nearly had to run to catch up with the lanky Brit’s long strides. He jumped into the elevator with Gavin who was jamming his finger into the button for the top floor repeatedly. Jeremy reached over and hit the ‘close doors’ button. Gavin balled his fists, shifting from foot to foot. Jeremy looked over, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The elevator chimed at them and opened on the floor. Gav stormed out and burst into the apartment.

“He _knew!_ ” he shouted. Jeremy stepped in cautiously, watching him pace the floor with fire in his eyes.

“Who knew what?” Michael stood up, squinting. He folded his arms, raising one eyebrow.

“Geoff! He bloody knew the whole time!” Gavin was nearly screaming. The frustration was making his voice crack.

“Fucking-- _what_ did he know, Gavin?!” Michael yelled back, mouth squared in a snarl.

“He knew Ray was _leaving!_ ”

The room stilled. The air was thick with tension. Jeremy watched Michael’s face shift from confusion to disbelief to unadulterated rage. Movement caught his eye, and he watched the Vagabond stand and set his shoulders before walking to the window. Jack had laid down the files in her hand, mouth hanging open. She ran her hands through her hair and grabbed fistfuls of it, her elbows landing on the table with a _thud_ as she stared blankly.

“Did you know?” Gavin snapped at Jack, marching toward her. Jeremy moved to get between them.

“Hey, _hey!_ ” barked Jeremy. “She didn’t know.”

“Geoff only told me he was a gun for hire!” she shouted, jumping to her feet. “I didn’t know Ray was leaving! I told him to make Jeremy permanent, but I didn’t fucking know!”

Gavin turned away, still bubbling with anger. Jeremy glanced back at Jackie, and she gave him a nod to show she was fine. But he wasn’t letting Gavin off that easy.

“Don’t take this out on everyone else,” Jeremy growled.

Gavin whipped around, “Shut your goddamn mouth! Geoff’s a lying fuck!”

“He was doing what was best for Ray!”

“Do _not_ talk about Ray like you knew him, you prick!” Gavin took long, menacing steps toward Jeremy. “You’re just a bloody replacement! You don’t belong here! This Crew doesn’t need you, you _useless_ fucking--”

There was a sharp crack as Jeremy swung his fist and connected with Gavin’s face. The Brit crumpled, grabbing his face as he fell. Jeremy was ice cold, looking down his nose at the older man. Nobody moved. The Vagabond had never even looked away from the window.

A few heartbeats later, a groan came from the man on the ground. Gavin shifted, holding his face. His left cheek was bruising immediately, and there was blood coming from his nose. He looked up at Jeremy, eyes pleading. Guilt twisted at his heart. Jeremy knelt down and gently grabbed Gavin’s arm, picking him up. Gav held his sleeve to his nose while he stood, staining it immediately. Once he was back on his feet, Jeremy walked into the kitchen and came back with ice in a bag.

“Here,” Jeremy said. Gavin took it wordlessly, and he sat down on the couch. Michael gave a nod to Jeremy, and then shoved a box of tissues into Gavin’s free hand, hissing something that sounded like ‘you stupid asshat.’ The younger man looked at his bruised knuckles, flexing them then heading over to the Vagabond.

“Hey,” he murmured. The Vagabond didn’t respond. “I’m sorry. If I had realized sooner, I would have said something.” Still nothing. “Look, Vagabond, I--”

“Ryan.” He carded his fingers through his hair, looking down slightly at Jeremy with a weary smile. “Name’s Ryan Haywood.” He turned back to watch out the cars below. “And it’s alright. I knew he had been wanting to leave for a while now. But I never thought he would do it.” Ryan closed his eyes, voice hoarse with tears threatening to spill as he whispered, “I just want to see him again.”

Jeremy gazed up at Ryan with sympathetic eyes. “We’re gonna find him.”

Ryan offered him a weak smile. “Thank you.” And that was all. Jeremy left him to his thoughts after that, and he went to speak with Jackie next. He needed to be sure she was alright, and that he still had a place in the Crew after attacking one of its most esteemed members.

“Hey, Jeremy,” she muttered. She’d moved to the kitchen and was drinking Geoff’s whiskey straight out of the bottle. Jeremy opened his mouth to speak, but she waved a hand to cut him off. “If you’re wondering, yes, I’m fine, and yes, you’re still good.” Jeremy must have looked as surprised as he felt, because she let out a laugh. “Don’t look so shocked. You think we haven’t gotten into some knock-down, drag-out fights? That wasn’t the first fight this apartment has seen, and it sure as hell won’t be the last.” Jack took another swig, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Gavin needed someone to beat some sense into him, anyway. I know he’s pissed Ray’s gone, but goddamn it, Ray deserves to be happy, too. And clearly he was done here.” She sighed. “Just wish Geoff would’ve told me.” She tilted the bottle of whiskey toward Jeremy; he took it and washed away the guilt on his tongue before handing it back. “I think I’m gonna go lay down. Keep these boys in line, Jeremy. Call me if Geoffrey shows.” He only nodded as she sauntered off, bottle hanging loosely from her fingers.

It took twenty minutes for everyone to truly recover. Jeremy stayed in the kitchen, rifling through the cabinets for a snack. He finally settled on a box of cereal. He listened to Michael and Gavin talk back and forth quietly. Ryan never left his window. At one point, Jeremy grabbed a Diet Coke and walked it over to the Vagabond. Ryan gave him a genuine smile and soft thanks. Jeremy smiled back, and he retreated to his snack. Finally, he put the box back and wandered into the living room. Michael stepped from around the couch and clapped Jeremy’s shoulder. Mogar’s face broke into his signature lopsided grin.

“Nice punch, shithead,” he joked. Jeremy laughed softly. “Hey.” Michael nodded. “Welcome home, kid.” He walked off before Jeremy could respond. His heart swelled in his chest, and he moved to sit beside Gavin. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, but Gavin seemed in higher spirits. His eyes were clear, and his face was relaxed.

“Sorry,” Jeremy finally murmured, scratching the back of his head.

Gavin grinned, teeth still bloody. “ ‘s all good, Lil J. I needed that.”

“Lil J?” echoed Jeremy with the tiniest of smiles.

“Yup,” Gavin winked at him. Jeremy’s stomach flipped, and he grinned at the Brit. “I was a bit harsh on you when you showed up, wasn’t I?”

“Only a lot,” Jeremy teased, bumping Gav with his shoulder. “I get it, man. No hard feelings. I did kinda just haymaker the shit out of your face.”

Gavin laughed. “Not gonna lie, it took me a minute to get my bearings on the floor. I opened my eyes, and I was like, ‘where the hell am I?’” They exchanged loud laughs. Even Michael was cackling from the kitchen. “You’ve got a damn arm on you, Lil J, I’ll give you that.” He nudged him playfully with his elbow. His face shifted, a little more serious suddenly. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you. You didn’t deserve that. I was just being a selfish prick. You’re a great guy, Jeremy.”

His heart nearly stalled in his chest. “Thanks, Gav. That means a lot.” He offered a shy smile, and Gavin returned it. Jeremy looked down at his hands to distract himself. “So what are you gonna do about Geoff?”

The Brit heaved a loud sigh. “God, I dunno. I want answers. Like why he didn’t tell us. And more importantly, where Ray is. I want to see him. And I know Ryan does, too.” He lifted the bag of ice back up to his bruised cheek. “I dunno when he’ll be back, though. I think he went to talk with Gus and Burnie at RT. Workin’ out a deal, I think.”

Jeremy nodded. There was a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye, and Jeremy watched Ryan head toward the kitchen. He looked back down, and he reached up, running his fingertips over the cross around his neck. Gavin looked over and watched him.

“Lil J?”

“Hm?” Jeremy’s lips twitched up into a smile at the nickname. He liked it. In fact, liked it a lot. He especially loved it when Gavin said it. He looked up to face Gavin. Time slowed. Gavin looked like he was leaning in, and Jeremy was watching his lips the whole time. His heart was racing.

“Wanna play Mario Kart?”

Jeremy grinned. “ _Hell_ yeah.”

They could hear the pounding of Michael’s footsteps as he ran and launched himself onto the other couch, screaming, “Llllllet’s play!” They all laughed, even Ryan, who then knocked on Jack’s door and convinced her to come and join them. The Crew plopped down together and settled in for a long night of racing. Gavin never left Jeremy’s side.

* * *

 

The next few days passed without incident. Gavin and Ryan abandoned their search for Ray; knowing he was alright convinced them to leave him be until Geoff could give them answers. The Crew laid low, only Jeremy leaving on occasion to practice shooting in the desert. Geoff was still in Austin discussing his potential deal with RT. Jack had explained he was hoping to get someone from RT to infiltrate the Los Santos police department, and in exchange, they would supply RT with information on cartel movements from Los Santos to Austin and details about Funhaus. Not to mention, he’d probably gotten hung up hanging with Burns, Sorola, and Hullum. But it gave them time to cool down.

It was a lazy Saturday morning, three days after Jeremy and Gavin’s altercation. The sun warmed Jeremy’s bed, and he rubbed his eyes. He stretched out with a yawn. Blinking slowly, he wrapped himself up tighter in his covers, reaching to grab his phone from the nightstand. He saw he had a text from Gavin, and he smiled.

**gavino: LIL J!!! u busy??**

Jeremy grinned at the message. He typed back.

**Lil J: i just woke up so not rly no**

He waited a few moments, but he got no response. He laid his phone down, curious as to what Gavin wanted. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, attempting to go back to sleep. Jeremy was on the verge of drifting into a nap when he heard his door open. He didn’t even have time to react before someone jumped on top of him, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

“Who the fuck?” he wheezed. He finally shoved off the snickering body. “Gav? Why would you do this.” Jeremy let his head thump onto his pillow, faking an air of defeat. “I was almost asleep. This is the ultimate betrayal.”

“Awww c’mon, Lil J!” sang Gavin, rolling over to face Jeremy. “You know you love me!” He grinned at him, and Jeremy had to grin back.

“You’re pretty okay, I guess,” he teased, reaching to grab the extra pillow. He whacked Gavin’s face lightly with it. He earned a Gavin-squawk in response which made him giggle.

“Don’t you start with me, Lil J,” he warned, voice muffled behind the pillow. He snatched it from his grip. “I’ll bloody destroy your asshole.”

“Gross.” Jeremy shoved Gavin, rolling his eyes. “Hey, your face is looking better,” he remarked, outstretching his hand to touch the bruise on the Brit’s face. “Still pretty fucked. But better.” The bruise was turning a nasty green color, but that meant it was slowly healing.

“Thanks. That really instills confidence,” remarked Gav dryly. “Glad to know you look at my face a lot.”

Jeremy babbled uselessly a bit. “No, I was just, I mean, I want to make sure, it’s--”

Gavin mocked him by shouting gibberish. “Cat got your tongue, Lil J?” He grinned, eyes lighting up. Jeremy pouted, furrowing his brow. Gav tapped his nose. “You have really smooth skin.”

“Oh, who’s looking at someone’s face a lot now?” Jeremy retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“Me,” replied Gavin with zero hesitation. “I like looking at your face.”

The younger man was taken aback. “I, uh, what?”

“You heard me.” Gavin was serious. His eyes were half lidded as his gaze roamed Jeremy’s features. “I like your face.”

There was a moment of stillness. Jeremy’s eyes were taking in all the details of Gavin’s face. He took note of the way his lips curved into a slight pout, how there was a small gap in Gavin’s stubble on his chin where there was a scar. He watched Gavin’s bright blue eyes as they looked him over, and he saw his mouth pull back into a grin. Jeremy managed a hoarse whisper of, “I like your face, too.” He was awestruck by Gavin. The Brit was beautiful, and he could spend all day looking at him. Gavin was radiant, and he was charming. Jeremy wanted to know Gav so much better, wanted to know everything there was to know about him.

“Can I kiss you?” murmured Gavin. He reached up, cupping Jeremy’s face in his hand. Lil J only nodded dumbly, unable to form the words. Gav leaned in, their noses bumping gently before their lips met in an easy kiss. Jeremy shifted, moving over Gavin who twined his arms around the younger man’s neck. They kissed slowly, mouths open. Their tongues met cautiously in the middle. Jeremy pressed into Gavin, head spinning and heart absolutely racing. Gavin finally leaned back, breaking away. His lips were red and swollen. Jeremy smiled warmly, eyes crinkling at the corners. He lowered his head to rest his forehead softly on Gavin’s.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since you got here,” Gavin admitting sheepishly. He grinned, chuckling, Jeremy rolled his eyes and gave him a quick kiss.

“Mmm, that makes two of us.” Jeremy lowered his head and nuzzled Gavin’s bruised cheek. He swung off Gavin to lay beside him. Gavin immediately grabbed his hands to lace their fingers together. “Want to go out tonight?”

“Sure. I know some great places.” Gavin pulled Jeremy’s right hand up to his face. He kissed the bruises on his knuckles. “I’ll take my bike.”

“Sounds good.” Jeremy closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

Someone else slammed the door open. The two looked up from their position with ultimate disinterest. “Hey shitheads,” Michael shouted. “Geoff’s back!” Upon hearing that, both boys scrambled to their feet. They wasted no time rushing into the living room. Jack had Geoff backed onto the couch. Ryan stood behind her, face dark.

“Geoff Ramsey, you’ve got a lot of fucking explaining to do!” she snapped. She folded her arms, tapping her foot impatiently mom-style.

“Alright, _alright!”_ Geoff growled. “Guess you fuckers figured it out. So let me speak.” He sighed and leaned forward. “Ray came to me about a month ago. Said he was done and wanted out. I asked him if he was sure, and he was completely sure. But he didn’t want you cunts to know, because he knew A) you’d be fucking upset and B) you’d try to convince him to stay. And he was done, like, super fucking done. He didn’t want convincing, just wanted out. So I told him I’d help him. Long story short, he’s out. Doesn’t want to be with the Crew anymore. He wants to see you guys again, but he wanted to lay low for a bit after leaving.” Geoff flopped back. “Happy?”

“Where is he?” Ryan asked softly.

“Staying with Kerry.”

“Shawcross?” Gavin shouted. “That lying son of a _bitch_ , we asked him if he’d seen Ray!” He saw the look on Geoff’s face, and immediately tried to backtrack. “I mean…”

“What the fuck do you mean you asked Shawcross?” Geoff looked pissed. “Did you--was that your fucking ‘recon’ Jeremy told me about?”

“Lil J!” Gavin shrieked. “You told Geoff?”

“I didn’t fucking know it was a secret!” he yelled back, shrugging his shoulders.

“Lil J?” Geoff questioned. “I fucking leave for _three_ days, and shit’s fucking wild. I need a goddamn drink.” He rested a palm on his forehead. Michael rolled his eyes.

“A drink is the last thing you need, you drunk bastard,” joked Mogar. He walked over and sat beside him. “Glad you’re back, you traitorous son of a bitch.” He pulled Geoff into a kiss.

“Gay,” muttered Gavin. Jeremy laughed.

“So are we good now?” Jackie asked. “I’m tired of being angry mama bear.”

“We’re good,” Ryan said. He looked at Geoff. “Thanks for keeping him safe.”

“You know I’d always do right by Ray. If not for him, for you.” Geoff nodded to him. He threw his arm around Michael. “We’ll go visit him tomorrow. Then we gotta get fuckin’ ready for Open Haus.” He touched his lips to Mogar’s temple, who scrunched up his face in response. Everyone else fake gagged in response. “Oh fuck off.” Geoff grinned, tugging his Michael close to him. Jeremy looked at Gavin, who smiled fondly at him. Their hands bumped affectionately. Geoff was warmed by the interaction between the two. Ryan looked at peace for the first time in weeks. Jackie was lounging in the chair, looking ten years younger now that the situation had been remedied. Geoff rubbed Michael’s arm, who snuggled into him. “It’s good to be back, boys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've wrapped up one story line. The mystery of Ghost Ray has been solved! Now we've got a budding romance and Open Haus. Big things to come!
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos. Love to hear from you guys!! And don't forget to check out my tumblr! jess-ray-and-vav.tumblr.com


	4. Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Sorry it took so long, I've been wildly busy at school. But I think you'll like it. It's a long one!

The room was quiet save for the rustling of fabric. Jeremy pulled his shirt over his head, and he tightened his belt. He stepped over to the mirror to run a comb through his hair and dab some cologne on his neck. Reaching up, he gripped the cross around his neck with a gentle smile before tucking it into his shirt. He sat on the edge of his bed and tugged his shoes on. There was an anxious stillness in the air as he settled, thinking of Gavin. The two had spent the majority of the day laying in bed, swapping stories and giggles. They leaned up to play a few rounds in a new shooter Gavin had bought, but for the most part, they just talked quietly in the sheets, basking in the warm sun and each other’s presence. It was a beautiful day. After a moment of musing, Jeremy noticed the silly smile plastered on his lips. Glancing at his phone screen, he noticed it was almost time to leave, and Gavin hadn’t appeared. He stood and wandered through the halls back to Gavin’s room. The door was cracked slightly, and he pressed it open to lean against the frame, slipping his hands into his jean pockets. Gav was sitting on the bed, much like Jeremy had been, bent at the waist lacing up a pair of white Vans. Jeremy gazed at him fondly.

“You ready?” he called, eyes half lidded as he looked him over. Gavin looked up, and his blue eyes flickered with warmth.   
“Just about.” Gavin stood. He walked over to his dresser, slipping his wallet into his pocket and his gold chain around his neck. The lilac button-up was undone near the top, showing off his collarbones just enough to make Jeremy’s mind start to wander. His thoughts were interrupted when Gavin stepped over and cupped Jeremy’s cheek in his hand. The Brit pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, and Jeremy closed his eyes. Gavin pulled away and smiled. “Let’s go.” Jeremy’s head was spinning, so he followed wordlessly, tongue too tied to form a response. He was grinning, eyes full of stars and face flushed as he jogged after Gavin to catch up.

“So where are we going?” Jeremy finally spit out, shaking off the giddiness that had overwhelmed his brain. He glanced up at Gavin as they stepped into the elevator.

“No idea.” Gavin shrugged. “I’ll just wing it.”

Jeremy furrowed his brow, tilting his head and pressing his lips into a thin line. “Uh, alright.” He was only slightly surprised. He liked to think he was figuring Gavin out day by day, and after spending half a Saturday with him already, the little pieces he’d seen of Gavin were starting to create a bigger picture.

“Don’t worry, Lil J,” teased Gavin with a grin. “We won’t get lost...hopefully.” The last part was muttered. Jeremy pretended not to notice, though he was now wishing he’d grabbed a jacket. The elevator dropped them off on the ground floor, and they sauntered out to the parking garage. “There she is!”

‘She’ was Gavin’s bike. Jeremy eyed it. It was impressive. And expensive. But mostly what he noted was the striking purple color practically glowing in the low lights of the parking deck. “She’s not subtle, is she?” Jeremy remarked dryly, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.

“Oh, like double-oh-Mogar is a bloody stealth machine?” he retorted. Jeremy shrugged, thinking of the chrome Lamborghini. He had a point. Gavin hopped on the bike, bringing it to life. He slid a helmet over his head, and he offered Jeremy the other one. Lil J threw his leg over the bike and put on the helmet he’d been given. He settled easily against Gavin’s back, arms locked around his thin waist. Gavin looked over his shoulder briefly at Jeremy and smiled to himself. The bike tore out of the parking garage, and they pulled onto the street. The younger man watched the lights from the street lamps rip by as they began to light up in the fading sunlight. The feeling of the wind whipping around him was oddly comforting, especially pressed into Gavin. He gave a lazy smile, closing his eyes, listening to the bike and being rocked nearly to sleep as the Brit weaved in and out of traffic. After a fifteen minute drive in what felt like a big circle, Gavin parked the bike beside some arcade. They hopped off and hung the helmets off the bars. Jeremy looked around, something catching his eye. He started to laugh a little.

“Wait, isn’t that the building?” Jeremy pointed down the street, a grin on his face. It felt like they’d been driving in a big circle because they had been. “Couldn’t we have just walked here?”

“Well, yeah, but I wanted to show her off.” Gavin patted the seat of his bike. “Plus, riding was nice, wasn’t it?”

Jeremy had to give a crooked smile at that. “Yeah, I damn near fell asleep.”

“I thought I heard you snoring!” Gavin teased, putting his arm around Lil J’s shoulders. Jeremy pouted up at him.

“I do not snore.” Jeremy wrapped his arm around Gavin’s waist, tugging him closer with a soft smile. “And just for that, I’m going to kick your ass at skee ball.”

“Okay, but I’m going to destroy your anus in Dance, Dance Revolution,” he shot back.

“Could you leave my anus out of this, please?” Jeremy was barely containing his laughter. His eyes were sparkling as he pressed closer to Gavin. His cologne was making him dizzy in the best of ways, and he felt at peace.

“We’ll see.” Gavin nuzzled the top of Jeremy’s head affectionately, barely avoiding running into a wall. Jeremy snickered, and they waltzed up to the counter, still wrapped around one another like high schoolers.

“Hi, how can I help you boys?” The young kid working had what sounded like a slight lisp, and Jeremy saw Gavin immediately light up.

“Hi, we’d like a hundred tokens--” He leaned in and squinted at the kid’s name tag. “Sean.” Gavin slapped money down on the counter dramatically. Jeremy rolled his eyes at Gavin’s antics. He’d even thickened his accent. He was turning up the charm on this kid, and it was  _ hilarious _ .

“One hundred tokens.” The cashier punched the buttons on the screen. “Would you like that split into two cups?”

“No, thanks.” Gavin jerked Jeremy closer if that were even possible and kissed the top of his head, making Jeremy blush heavily at the public display of affection. “Won’t be necessary.”

The cashier grinned as he took Gavin’s money and placed it in the register. He said nothing as he dispensed coins into a cup, letting a few more than a hundred fall from the machine. “You boys enjoy.”

“Cheers, Sean!” Gavin tugged Jeremy away from the counter, toward Dance Dance Revolution.

“You’re a sneaky little shit!” Jeremy giggled, fishing out a few tokens.

“Works every time,” Gavin purred. “Never pay for something you can schmooze out of someone.” He flashed a devious grin toward Lil J. “Now I believe I have to kick your asshole in at DDR, my boy.”

Gavin did, in fact, destroy Jeremy at DDR. But Jeremy also kept his promise to slaughter Gavin in skee ball. The two were happy, laughing messes. They played mostly competitive games, but at one point, Jeremy got stuck at the crane machine with determination in his heart to win  _ something _ . Gavin was cheering him on, and they drew the attention of the other patrons. When the stuffed creature finally dropped into the slot, the little crowd they had drawn shrieked with delight. Jeremy pulled Gavin into a victory hug and swung him around, giggling like teenagers. He pulled it from the machine and turned it over.

“Question: what the fuck is it?” Jeremy raised an eyebrow. It was some hideous green thing that looked perpetually pissed off or possessed...or pissed off at being possessed.

“It’s a creeper!” Gavin exclaimed, eyes bright. “They’re from Minecraft! Micoo and I play all the time! They’re real mean bastards that blow stuff up, but they’re so cute!” Gavin patted the stuffed creeper. “That’s what my character skin is!”

“Really?”Jeremy grinned. He gripped the creeper in both hands, and he presented it to Gavin, “You have it. Since you like ‘em.”

Gav’s eyes went wide, and he took the stuffed creature gently from Jeremy’s hands. “Lil J…” He beamed down at him. “Thank you.”

Jeremy blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Aw, don’t look at me like tha--” Jeremy’s words were lost when Gavin used his free hand to pull him into a tender kiss. He melted against Gavin, kissing back slowly. When they parted, Jeremy’s eyes were lidded and glassy. His face was red, and he was taking in ragged breaths far too heavy for what was such a simple kiss. “Let’s go home?” It was a question. God, did Jeremy want it, but he was making sure this was okay.

Gavin smirked. “Sure thing, love.”

The ride back was agony. Jeremy kept shifting his hips against Gavin’s, and the Brit was doing his best to keep from rocking back into him. Gav parked his bike hastily, narrowly avoiding dropping it to the harsh asphalt below. They scrambled for the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed, Jeremy was dragging Gavin down into a sloppy kiss. Every time the doors opened, Jeremy was wiping his mouth and shuffling anxiously. Gavin, on the other hand, made no effort to fix his make-out hair or smooth his rumpled shirt. Needless to say, the patrons that were going to use the elevator quickly changed their minds and stammered out ‘forgot something’ before hustling for the stairs. By the time they reached the penthouse, Gavin’s shirt was half unbuttoned and Jeremy was working on his belt. The rest of the Crew pretended not to see them from the living room as Jeremy tugged Gav into the Brit’s room. Gavin gently placed the creeper plush on his dresser before they resumed.

“You sure?” Jeremy asked, nearly popping buttons and seams as he furiously worked to take Gavin’s shirt off.

“Yes,” he breathed, grasping at Jeremy’s jeans and yanking him close. He shrugged his shirt off, and he kicked his shoes to across the room. Jeremy lifted his t-shirt over his head and snapped his belt through the loops. Gavin bit his lips, knees weak from the action. “Are  _ you  _ sure?” He was kissing Jeremy’s neck as he undid the button on his pants.

“Mhm,” answered the shorter man, not bothering with buttons as he reached in the seam of Gav’s pants. He relished in the way Gavin was falling apart so quickly under his touch. He pressed him toward the bed and laid the Brit down. He peppered kisses along his still-bruised cheek, down his neck and now-bare chest, never stopping. “Relax, Gavin,” he hummed against Gavin’s hip bone, pulling his jeans lower. “I’ve got you.”

* * *

 

The sunlight poured in through the window, splashing across Jeremy’s eyes and waking him from a deep sleep. He let out a stiff growl, muscles sore and brain sluggish. He attempted to shift, but  found it difficult when he felt a weight on his chest. He opened his eyes, and he saw Gavin sleeping soundly with his head over his heart, arm thrown over Jeremy’s middle and legs tangled with his. Jeremy reached up and stroked Gav’s hair gently; he bent his neck and kissed the Brit’s head. At the contact, Gavin made a sound and lifted his head. He blinked in confusion before gazing up at Jeremy. A dopey smile pulled at his lips, and he rested his head back on Lil J’s chest.

“Morning,” he muttered, still smiling.

Jeremy grinned. “Good morning.” He carded his hand through Gavin’s hair. “You feel okay?”

“A bit achy, but the good kind. Nothin’ hurts, if that’s what you’re asking.” It was. Gav snuggled closer to Jeremy. “You’re  _ good _ .”

That earned a snort of laughter from Jeremy, and he reached up his other hand to twine his fingers with Gavin’s. “Thanks, Gav. ‘preciate it.” He looked down at Gavin with warmth in his eyes. “I could lay here all day with you.” His voice was hoarse with the affection he felt for the Brit.

The older man tilted his head to look at Jeremy’s face. His blue eyes sent shivers down Lil J’s spine, and he was awed by them. “Me, too.” He scooted up slowly to catch his lips in a kiss laced with desperation. Jeremy was a bit surprised at the Brit’s sentimentality. While not unwelcome, he just wasn’t expecting it. Somewhere between sex and sleep last night, his mind had decided that Gavin would be gone before he woke up. He was just a diversion for Gavin. They broke away. The Brit gave a lazy smile. “You look confused.”

“I, uh,” Jeremy stammered; he cleared his throat. “I didn’t think you’d stay.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he was mentally beating the shit out of himself. Why would you fuck up a good thing, Dooley? Why’d you have to open your mouth?

Gavin laughed quietly. “It is  _ my  _ bed.”

“Oh.” Jeremy’s heart dropped like a stone. “Right. I’ll, um, I’ll go if you--”

“Wait, no,” Gavin blurted, hand coming up caress Jeremy’s cheek. “I-I didn’t mean that.” He shook his head and sighed. “I know you probably thought this was like...some sort of conquest right? Shag the new guy or somethin’?” Jeremy cocked an eyebrow. Yeah, kind of. But he said nothing. “It wasn’t. I’m not like that.” Gavin was watching him closely, gauging his reactions, and Jeremy felt like he might fall apart under the Brit’s gaze. His blue eyes held him in place with such intensity, his head was swimming. “I like you, Jeremy. And I’d like to see where this goes, you and I. If that’s alright with you?”

It was more than alright. Gavin was like a fire tearing through a forest, and Jeremy wanted to burn. He was drawn to him, and goddamn, did Jeremy want more. “Yeah. I’d love that.” Jeremy smiled at Gavin, leaning into the Brit’s touch as he stroked his cheek. Gavin pulled himself up to kiss him again, Jeremy twining his fingers in Gavin’s hair and pulling him closer. His other hand found the small of his back, palm sliding over the bare skin.

“Knock knock, bitches! Cover yourselves!” Gavin broke away and rolled his eyes, he reached down to grab the sheets and hide their bodies underneath them.

“Come in,” called Gavin, rolling over and laying against Jeremy. Michael opened the door, peeking cautiously around the corner to make sure they were, indeed, covered.

“We’re leaving to visit Ray in an hour!” Michael was hopping happily in place. No snide comment?  This must mean a lot to them, Jeremy mused. “Hurry and get ready!” He raced back out, slamming the door.

“He must be pretty excited about this. He didn’t even say anything about us,” Jeremy remarked. Gavin threw the covers back and slid out of bed. He stood and stretched; Jeremy watched him with appreciative, if not slightly hungry, eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll tell Ray, and then they’ll all go on about it for ages.” Gavin walked over to his dresser to retrieve a pair of boxers. While he stepped into them, he said, “You’ll like Ray. He’s a good guy. Funny, too.”

“I’m more excited for Ryan. Can’t imagine what it’s like to have someone you love drop off the face of the earth like that.” Jeremy stood up himself, picking up clothes from last night off the floor and pulling them on for the short walk to his room.

“Oh, man, that’s going to be something.” Gavin had a smile on his face at the thought. “Now you’ve got me all sappy!” he teased, walking over to Jeremy. He pulled him against his chest and kissed him again. “Now go, get ready.”

Jeremy grinned. “Sure thing, boss.” He rolled his eyes and headed through the halls, closing the door quietly behind him.

Gavin was already in the living room by the time Jeremy made his way there. He was in another button up, light blue today, gold necklace still glittering against his chest. Gavin lifted his sunglasses and rested them on the top of his head. He smiled.

“Took you long enough,” he called from the couch. Jeremy rolled his eyes, pressing his shoulder against the doorframe and folding his arms.

“Took a shower. Had to wait on Geoff.” The name was barely out of his mouth before the kingpin shoved past him. “Speak of the devil.”

“Fuck off, if you wanted to shower on your terms, you should’ve gotten up earlier.” Geoff shot him a lopsided grin over his shoulder. “But sounded like you two wore each other out last night.”

Jeremy raised his palms and promptly buried his face in them. “Really?” he sighed. “Already?”

Geoff laughed, loud and genuine. “I had to. I’ll leave ya alone. Michael and Ray are gonna dog you poor bastards enough today.” He tore open the poptart in his hand. He was still snickering to himself.

“Told you.” Gavin stood from his position on the couch, and he walked into the kitchen. He snatched the other poptart from Geoff’s hand and started munching it. “So should we stagger leaving?” Crumbs flew from his mouth as he talked, and Jeremy made a face of disgust. “Lil J and I could go ahead on.” At that moment, Ryan stepped into the room. “Even better, we’ll take Rye-bread, too.”

Geoff looked at them. “Alright. But wait for us to get there before you break down Shawcross’s door, alright?” He looked pointedly at Ryan. “No one goes in until we get there.”

“Why?” Ryan said, shoulders stiffening and head lowering dangerously. He looked like a wild dog ready to fight.

“Because you might be fucking him, but he’s our goddamn family, too, Ryan,” Geoff snapped. There were shadows under his eyes; his teeth were set and tattooed hands curling into fists. “I care about him just as much as you do, and so do the rest of these kids. You  _ wait _ . Understood?”

Ryan said nothing, but his shoulders dipped inward to indicate defeat. Gavin watched the whole thing with boredom in his eyes, while Jeremy felt like he just watched the Cuban missile crisis occur before his very eyes. He hated infighting, but these shitheads sure did it a lot. Geoff was back to cramming the poptart in his mouth, and before even thirty seconds had passed, Ryan was fine again and digging a Diet Coke from the fridge. Jack stepped into the room and grinned at them all. She winked at Lil J as she passed him, and he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Where’s Michael?” she asked. “Jesus, I even shaved and put makeup on, and he still isn’t out?” She rubbed her cheeks thoughtfully, skin still pink and irritated from the razor.

“I thought you were doing that laser hair thing?” Gavin asked, tilting his head.

“I am, but it’s in, like, stages?” She shrugged. “They have to do it a bunch of times every few weeks. But it’s working.” She smiled.

Geoff nudged her playfully, fondness in his eyes, as he chimed in,“I know! We’ll need a new nickname for you soon.”

Jack clutched her chest in feign panic. “My god, how will I survive without being Beardo?” she said dryly. She rolled her eyes and bumped him back. Jeremy smiled to himself, listening to the two tease each other back and forth with the love of friends that went way back.

Finally, Geoff sighed and said. “Alright, you three head out. He looked back at the hall. “I guess Princess Mogar is taking his sweet fucking time. We’ll catch up with you as soon as I can drag his ass out here.” Geoff turned and opened one of the kitchen drawers. He pulled out a pair of keys and tossed them to Ryan. “It’s a shitty brown van. I don’t want the cops tailing our personals to Shawcross’s place.”

“Brown van for Brownman!” Gavin shrieked, obviously pleased having thought of it. Jeremy groaned.

“Just for that, you get back row,” Ryan muttered, though there was a warm smile on his face. He started for the door. “Meet you there, boss.”

* * *

 

Ryan hadn’t taken his eyes off Shawcross’s door since they got there. He’d driven like it was heist, and now that he’d whipped this stupid van into the parking lot, his gaze was fixed and unbreakable. Jeremy and Gavin had clambered out to pace for fresh air after the ride, and they ended up the back row of the van to make a space to stretch out in. They were currently sitting beside each other, legs stretched in front of them while they chatted.

“So how long did Ray work for you guys?” Jeremy asked.

“He did odd jobs for us for a little while. Tech things. He had connections we needed, too, as far as weapons,” Gavin explained. “But he joined up and worked with us for three years before this.” There was a beat of silence and a smile ghosted over Gavin’s features. “He’s...one of my best friends. Of course, there’s Michael, but...I dunno. I love Ray. When we met, we were both different.” Jeremy turned to look at Gavin fully, but the Brit was gazing down at his hands. “Younger and just full of so much energy. I miss it,” he admitted quietly. “X-Ray and Vav. That’s our, uh, was our team name.”

Jeremy leaned over and rested his head on Gavin’s shoulder, unsure of what to say. Gav pressed his cheek into the top of Jeremy’s head in response, letting out a sad sigh. “I’m just glad he’s alright.” Gavin closed his eyes.

“They’re here,” Ryan said, turning the car off immediately and scrambling out. The boys jumped up, yanking the doors of the van open and nearly falling out onto the pavement. They closed it and turned to face Geoff. Jack and Michael stepped from around the car, and they all stood in silence for a minute.

“What the fuck are you waiting for?” Geoff asked, furrowing his brow. He gestured to the door. “Go!” Without further prompting, Ryan turned on his heel and took huge strides toward Kerry’s place. The rest of them jogged to catch up, and by the time they were at his side, the Vagabond was pounding on Shawcross’s door.

There was a video game blaring. They could hear the muffled sounds of someone making their way to the door. “Jesus, Spoole, I didn’t think you’d get here that fast!” The sound of locks being slid back could be heard. “We just got started--” The door opened and the guy talking went pale. Or was that just his skin tone? Jeremy couldn’t tell. “Oh. Uh, hey, um, I’m kinda--kinda busy right now?”

“Where is he?” Ryan’s voice boomed, but that hint of desperation was unmistakable. Kerry looked to Geoff who nodded.

“Ray?” Shawcross called. “It’s for you!” He stepped back from the door.

“Me?” Ryan’s face shifted at the sound of that voice, eyes already welling with tears and a weak smile. “I didn’t fuckin’ order anything. Did I?” Shuffling. And then he was there. A guy, borderline scrawny, with thick rimmed glasses and dark hair stood inches away from Ryan. “Oh, fuck.” His eyes were wide as he looked up at Ryan.

_“Ray,”_ he choked out, blue eyes swimming with all the pain and fear he felt when he thought he lost him. “God,  _ Ray _ .”

A smile split the young man’s face in half. “Good to see you, Rye.” The Vagabond lifted him into a kiss so full of love, the rest of the Crew couldn’t help but smile fondly at them. He put Ray down, holding him close for a more moments before their lips finally parted. “ _ Fuck _ , I am  _ so  _ sorry, Ryan, I am so fucking sorry.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Ryan’s voice was hoarse as tears streaked his face. “I thought you were gone, Ray, I didn’t know what to do.” He carded his hand through Ray’s hair and kissed the top of his head.

“I know, goddamn, Ryan, I am so sorry. I’m such a piece of shit, I should have never--”

The Vagabond shook his head furiously. “Don’t. You’re okay. That’s all I care about.” He stepped back and smiled weakly down at Ray, thumbing the tears the younger man had been crying silently. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He looked past his lover, and finally waved to the rest of the Crew. “Sup.” They all busted out laughing. Jackie was wiping at her eyes, hoping no one had noticed. Jeremy bumped her gently and raised an eyebrow in questioning. She nodded, showing she was alright, just happy for her boys.

“Can we come in?” Geoff asked impatiently, voice cracking. Ray laughed softly.

“Sure,” Kerry answered from his awkward corner. They all shuffled in and took over the living room where a video game was paused and Chinese food littered the tables. Ray plopped down on the couch, still firmly attached to Ryan. Geoff wandered into the kitchen, and there was a faint sound of bottles clinking. He returned with a beer for himself and a beer for Jack. Kerry threw his hands up. Gavin sat down in an armchair, stretching out like a king in a throne; Jeremy rolled his eyes and smiled, standing beside him and pressing his hip into Gav’s shoulder. Jack leaned her back against the front door, tipping her beer up. Kerry squished in beside Ray and Ryan, muting the tv but going back to the game.

“Hey, don’t fuck up my K/D,” Ray grumbled from beside his boyfriend. Ryan had an arm twined tightly around him, nuzzling the top of his head and breathing in the smell of smoke in his hair and cheap cologne. The room was still silent. “Why aren’t you fuckers saying anything? It’s not a funeral, I’m not fucking dying.”

Michael barked out a laugh, “Fuck off, Ray,” he snickered. “Piece of shit.”

“So who are you?” Ray asked, turning to look at Jeremy who shifted under his gaze. Jeremy had been eying Ray since they got here, trying to figure him out. He’d been doing the same, the scrutiny in his eyes barely masked by disinterest and laziness. “New guy?”

“Jeremy Dooley,” he answered, folding his arms across his chest and widening his stance. “Sniper.”

“Blows to be you,” Ray remarked dryly, and Jack snorted into her beer. “Speaking of blowing, how long you and Gavin been fuckin’?”

Gavin choked on air, coughing and sputtering. Jeremy, despite the shock of being asked the question, had to laugh at Gavin losing his composure. “ _ Ray! _ ” the Brit shouted.

“What?!” he yelled back, throwing his hands up. “I just thought I’d ask!”

“Only since last night!” Michael chimed in from the doorway, laughing hysterically at Gavin looking frantic and embarrassed. Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck, face burning, but still snickering at Gavin squawking in frustration.

“Be nice,” Geoff warned, furrowing his brow and giving Michael a look. Mogar pouted, but otherwise gave in to Geoff’s demand by grumbling quietly under his breath.

“He’s cute,” Ray remarked with a shrug.

“Bloody hell--” Gavin breathed, burrowing his face in his palms. Jeremy smiled, gazing down at the Brit with stars in his. He didn’t take Gavin for the shy type. It was the best kind of the surprise. It was sweet of him, to want to be private about their affairs. And Jeremy liked it a lot.

“Thanks,” Jeremy replied, waggling his eyebrows at Ray who grinned in response.

“See!  _ He’s _ playing along! Christ, Gavin, take it easy.” Ray rolled his eyes and leaned into Ryan, pulling his arm tighter around him. “Fuckin’ bitch…” Jeremy shot a good-natured smile at Gavin, who was pouting in the chair below him. He ruffled his hair, nearly knocking his sunglasses off his head. “So are you guys still going through with Open Haus this week?”

“Yeah,” Geoff answered, stepping away from the door frame. “If you’re up for one last rodeo, we could really use your eyes on us while we pull it off.” His voice was gentle, soft. There was the option of escape lingering in his voice, but Geoff’s blue eyes were begging. “It’s a big one. And I’ve been getting reports.” Geoff scrubbed his face with his free hand. “Something happened. They know we’re hitting them. There’s going to be resistence.”

Ray ran his hand through his hair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Geoff...I’m done.” There was exhaustion in his voice. “You can’t ask me to do this.”

Ryan looked at his lover, gently touching his shoulder. There was rumble in his voice, as he leaned in to murmur, “Ray. Just once.  All you have to do is keep an eye out. We  _ need  _ it.” Ryan reached up to cup Ray’s face, running his thumb against his cheekbone.

There was a fat silence choking everyone in the room. Kerry had paused the game and was watching Ray, wringing his hands. Ray looked over at his friend, blanched and anxious.

“I can’t put Kerry in danger. If they find out where I’m staying…” He wasn’t getting him killed. Not for some a life he’d already left behind.

“Hey, I’ll be okay,” Shawcross answered quietly. He smiled but it wavered. “All part of the job, right?”

“I can move you,” Jackie chimed in hurriedly, catching Kerry’s gaze. She stepped toward him. “We’ve got safehouses. In and out of state. Just let us know.”

“Okay, I know I said ‘all part of the job’ but can I take up that offer?” They laughed. Shawcross looked over to Ray and gave him a nod. “It’s okay.” His lips pulled into a half-grin. “Go ahead.”

Ray sighed.“Alright. I know you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t necessary. But this is the last fucking time, okay? ” He grabbed Ryan’s hand and squeezed it, looking at the scars on the Vagabond’s arms and hands. “And I’m not working it,” he barked suddenly. “Put a rifle in my hands, and I’m  _ done _ . For good.” There was something ice cold in his gaze. “I’m not killing anyone else for you, Geoffrey.”

The kingpin nodded slowly. “Thank you, Ray,” he rasped, a massive weight being lifted off his shoulders. “It means the world to me. To us.” He used his free hand to shake through the young kid’s hair with a grin. “You two should come back with us. We can set Kerry up some place nice, and we can get you freshly briefed on Open Haus.”

“I need some time to pack,” Shawcross said, looking around his place with a look of despair in his eyes. Not for the ‘vacation’ necessarily, but just the idea of gutting his home was enough to exhaust him.

“Sure, we can help,” Michael said, taking Geoff’s beer and finishing it off. He threw the bottle away. “Let’s get to it.”

People broke off for different rooms, and Jeremy was left cleaning the living room while Ray murmured quietly with Ryan for a bit. The Vagabond finally kissed his boyfriend softly before taking his leave. The ex-Fake walked over to him to help him start shoveling trash into the bag Jeremy had.

“So you and Gav, huh?” he asked, though it wasn’t necessarily a question. More like a conversation starter.

“Yeah,” Jeremy smiled shyly. “He’s, uh--” He cleared his throat, a blush creeping over his cheeks. “I like him.”

“That’s good. You’ll be good for him,” Ray said, voice flat. Jeremy looked at him in surprise; the other sniper’s face was neutral. He meant it. “You seem like a good guy. Grounded. Happy.” He said the last word with hunger in his voice. Like he was jealous. “And Gavin’s,  _ well… _ ” He gestured vaguely as thought to communicate, ‘he’s whatever the fuck Gavin is.’ “You’ll balance each other. If anyone knows about balance, it’s me and that fucking moron in there.” Ray grinned, jerking his chin toward where Ryan had disappeared.

“I can imagine,” he joked back, smiling. Jeremy stopped cleaning to look at Ray. “Hey, so speaking of us, how did you figure out me and Gavin so fast?”

There was a smug smirk on his face. “You don’t know?”

Jeremy furrowed his brow. “Know what?”

The smirk turned into a grin. “There’s a hickey on your neck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally on our way to OPEN HAUS. Buckle in. It's gonna be a wild ride.


	5. Open Haus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment we've all been waiting for: welcome to this week's Open Haus!

The week was spent prepping. Open Haus was going to be their biggest heist yet in terms of locations hit. After going through it again, and now having Ray to help keep an eye out for them, they were hitting a total of six places. Geoff and Michael were taking four minor places in the area, Gavin had the Ammu-nation, and after a lot of arguing and persuasion, Jackie was going for the garage that repaired and cleaned the Funhaus crew’s vehicles. It was a massive risk to have the Crew spread so thin, but after careful planning with the new location in mind, they decided it would be well worth it. Not only would it send a very loud, very clear message to Funhaus, they estimated that they would pull in somewhere between ten and fifteen grand.

Jeremy, being the newest, went to scout out the areas often that week. Even if Funhaus had a man in every one of those stores, there is no way they would recognize Jeremy. He played himself off as a new guy from Boston that had just moved to the area whenever people started to ask questions. The owners of the garage and ammo store were especially hostile toward him, demanding to know who he was and why he was there. He didn’t go back, for fear they would figure him out. Ray spent the days getting into the camera systems of the locations the Crew was supposed to hit. Geoff was pouring over information, calling up their medics just in case, plotting for worst case scenario. Ryan and Michael laughed like old friends while they cleaned the guns and the knives every night after dinner. And Gavin spent the week worrying.

He’d only known Jeremy for a week and a half, and his stomach was in knots at the prospect of losing him. Part of him, admittedly, was indifferent, constantly snapping, ‘This is your line of work. What do you expect? Someone has to die eventually.’ And quite honestly, Gavin knew it was right. They were criminals. This life didn’t stop for anyone, no matter how much Gav was wanting it to. Though, he still was kept up at night by fear. He slept easier on the nights Jeremy stayed with him. When they made love, he slept even better. But on the rare night that he was alone, Gavin tossed and turned, reaching for a lover that wasn’t there; when he closed his eyes, all he saw was blood soaking through Jeremy’s shirt and glazed over eyes.

During the day, Gavin spent all his time with Jeremy. All that he could, anyway. He insisted on dragging Jeremy along to pick up getaway vehicles from the docks. During their trips, Joel and Jeremy became fast friends; they laughed together while Gavin looked on with a smile as someone brought the newest car to him. The couple always bid Caboose a warm goodbye and raced each other back home. On occasion, Gavin would help Ray with the security feeds, hacking particular cameras that his friend couldn’t quite get. When this happened, Ryan and Jeremy ended up chatting quietly on the couch, watching their boyfriends with eyes full of affection. It was the opposite of what a heist week usually was: tense and full of frustration. This time it was a warm week, brimming with nothing but love for one another. And it filled them all with determination to pull this heist off successfully.

The day before, however, everyone felt the weight of this heist fall directly on their shoulders. Everyone tried to keep the mood light, passing around half-hearted banter. But they were fucking scared. There was no way around that. Thy had so much to lose. They’d gained Jeremy, a new, albeit irreplaceable member, of their family. They had pulled Ray back into the thick of the Crew’s operations. Kerry had ripped his roots up from Los Santos and been shifted to Austin, under protection of RT. Relationships were being forged and old ones were stronger than ever. It was a big job, and one wrong step could tear the Fake AH Crew to shreds.

It was roughly midday when everyone got antsy. Michael convinced Geoff to ride with him in double-oh-Mogar for ‘just a few hours, babe, pleeease?’ Ray was chewing his gum more aggressively than usual, mashing the buttons on his DS with more force. Ryan was playing chess with Jack, both of them completely silent. They enjoyed each other’s presence, and they played together before every heist; it focused them and gave them the quiet they needed to prepare. Jeremy was still sleeping, or at least he was still locked up in his room. And Gavin was on the floor.

The Brit was sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the window. He watched planes cross from one end of the glass wall to the other, and every siren that went off made him jump and furrow his brow. The clicking of Ray’s DS and bubblegum offered white noise. It kept him from drowning in his worry; he spun the watch on his wrist in an effort to distract himself further, but it failed. His mind wandered back to the man lying in the other room, and it made his soul ache. Scenarios flitted through his head like he was flipping through a rolodex. What if someone was in the building Jeremy was setting up in? What if the Funhaus crew had people tailing Jeremy, and they were waiting to strike? What if they got in a wreck on the way back? What if--

“Good morning.” That voice made his thoughts screech to a halt, and he looked up with a smile. Jeremy had the heel of his palm digging into his eye as his other arm reached up to stretch. He shook it off and sat down beside his boyfriend.

“It’s almost one,” Gavin answered softly, leaning over to catch his lips in a kiss. “But good morning, love.” He grinned at him.

“I see your wheels turning,” Jeremy murmured, taking Gavin’s hand in his own. “Whatcha thinking?”

“Everything.” Gavin watched a shadow cross Lil J’s face. “I worry.”

“Don’t.” The Brit was surprised at the firmness in his voice. Jeremy softened slightly, squeezing Gav’s hand. “I know it might seem like this--” He gestured between them with his other hand. “Changes things. It doesn’t. This is still our job. We’re still the most wanted criminals in Los Santos. You let this interfere, and it’s going to fuck everyone. You know?”

Gavin smiled weakly. “I know. God, Jeremy, it’s like you can bloody read my mind sometimes.” He freed his hand and cupped the younger man’s face, pulling him into another kiss. “Can we spend the day in bed?”

“In bed or  _ in bed? _ ” Jeremy waggled his eyebrows on the second one.

Gavin laughed. “Just in bed, if that’s alright with you.” He carded his fingers through Jeremy’s hair, and his lover responded by closing his eyes and humming happily.

“That is  _ super  _ okay with me.” Jeremy stood, and he pulled Gavin with him into Jeremy’s room. As soon as he closed the door, Lil J pulled his shirt over his head and climbed back into bed. Gavin rolled his eyes but did the same. He slid in beside Jeremy, who immediately latched onto his lanky boyfriend, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “I--” He breathed out slowly, pressing a kiss to Gavin’s shoulder as he thought of what to say. “I care about you, Gav. And this is gonna be okay.”

The Brit smiled, feeling Jeremy’s arms wrapped tight around his chest and fitted perfectly against his back. He turned his head to kiss Jeremy’s bicep. Two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have imagined he’d be snuggled up to this kid, heart fluttering like he was a teenager. Two weeks ago, he thought they’d never find Ray and now he could hear him muttering ‘son of a bitch’ in the other room. He traced what remained of the bruises on Jeremy’s knuckles, tilting his head over his shoulder to kiss the man he’d grown to adore. Two weeks ago, he never thought things would be this good. And things  _ were  _ good. He closed his eyes. “Yeah. It’ll be okay.”

* * *

 

The sun started to set that Friday evening, and everyone dug their heels in for one hell of a night. They gathered around in table in the heist room, tense as they waited for Geoff to go over the plan once again.

“Alright,” Geoff started. “One more fucking time.” He picked up the crystal glass beside him and threw the rest of his whiskey down his throat. Everyone’s eyes were on the map of the city on the whiteboard. The kingpin straightened his bowtie, and began, “Alright. Ray, of course, is staying here. We’re calling you Den Momma.” He nodded to Ray, who saluted and popped his gum. “He’ll be keeping eyes on all of us as best he can, and he has B-Team on call in case one of us needs serious backup. Don’t get sloppy because he’s watching. Keep your fuckin’ heads up.” Geoff turned to the wall. “Michael and I are operating as Team Run and Gun.” Michael winked at him, and Geoff rolled his eyes. “We will be hitting  _ this  _ 7-11 and  _ this  _ ABC store at the same time. We’re taking out the cashiers and getting the money, then we’re laying low. As soon as the cops back off enough, we’re hitting  _ this  _ Pop Shoppe and  _ this  _ Exxon.” Geoff pointed aggressively at each location, looking to the rest of the Crew for nods of confirmation.. “Same deal, only this time, we’ve got a couple cars planted on this road. We’re hopping in and leading them in circles. If we’re lucky, it might even draw Funhaus’s attention away from you shitheads if they’re out and about. Now while we have the pigs chasing us, that’s where Gavin and Jack come in.” They nodded. “Gavin’s hitting the Ammu-nation, up close and personal. Jackie, on the other hand, is rigging this fucking garage--” He circled the area with a marker. “To  _ blow _ . We want that place fucking obliterated. Ryan is going to be covering you, because the garage should be empty when we get there, but that neighborhood is sketchy as fuck. And I don’t doubt Funhaus has eyes in that place, if they’ve got half a fucking brain among them. You two are Team Flashbang.” Jackie and Ryan exchanged grins, fire flickering through their eyes. “Lil J, you’re covering Gavin. You’re Team Little Britain. Jer, you’ve seen first hand that the guy running this shop is tight with Funhaus. He’s on edge constantly, and he’ll recognize Gavin as soon as he walks in. He’ll probably have one other guy in that store. It’ll be messy. Stay on it.” Jeremy’s lips pressed into a thin line as he nodded.

“You all know where your vehicles are planted?” Everyone nodded, but Geoff scanned through the map and pointed them out anyway. “We meet at the beach. We’ll blow the cars there, and we hop in the vans planted up there. Circle the city if you can, then head home.”

“No safe house?” Jackie asked, eyes narrowed.

“Decided we should get back here. We’re hitting Funhaus hard, and we don’t need to be away from here in case they try to strike back.” They exchanged nods, though Jackie’s worry was still etched into her face. “Alright, we good?”

There was silence as everyone watched the map with weary eyes. Good God, this could go so wrong. The stillness was broken when Ray popped his gum. They all turned to look at him naturally. He rolled his eyes, before standing. “Let’s heist.”

Smiles tugged at everyone’s lips; they all exchanged looks, saying nothing but still communicating how much they loved one another. Geoff moved first, tossing his marker down. At that, they all stood and started out, murmuring quietly between themselves. Geoff watched them all leave, calling out, “Hey, Jeremy?”

The shorter man stopped in the doorway, everyone’s voices fading as they left the apartment. “Yeah, Geoff?”

The kingpin walked up to him, rubbing the back of his neck. He jerked his chin toward the cross dangling around Jeremy’s neck. “Will you, uh--c-can you, maybe, put a line out for us?”

Jeremy smiled warmly, reaching up to grip the crucifix gently. “Already sent out more than a few.” Geoff gave a weak smile, eyes glassy with fear. Jeremy sobered up, dragging his boss into a hug. “They’ve got this.” He clapped him on the back and pulled away. “They’re  _ your  _ boys, after all.”

Geoff put his arm around Jeremy and walked them toward the front door. “So are you, Jeremy. So are you.”

* * *

 

The rides were quiet. Nobody spoke over the comms. Gavin drove, though Jeremy wasn’t sure how he could see wearing his sunglasses at night. Lil J tugged his cowboy hat tighter on his head as he reloaded his pistol, counting the leftover bullets. He chewed the inside of his lip until he felt it start bleeding. He wasn’t too stressed, but he knew this crew wasn’t used to being spread so thin. RT did it all the time when he worked with them. In fact, one could argue that RT “heists” were really just solo missions all happening at the same time. But he knew that the Fakes operated as a unit, and this was different for them. And in this business, different was dangerous.

Static crackled, and Geoff’s voice said, “Gimme updates.”

Jack’s came over the channel, calling, “Team Flashbang almost ready. We’re circling the block while the last of the employees lock up.”

Gavin turned to Jeremy and gave him a nod. “Team Little Britain is pulling around now. Should be in position in sixty seconds.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Team Run and Gun is in position. We are on stand by.”

The channel went quiet again. Gavin swerved the van into alley behind Jeremy’s building. They clicked the car off, and they stepped out. Gavin slung his backpack over his shoulders; Jeremy slid his rifle’s strap across his chest. They emptied the car of what little supplies they had, and they set to work placing C4 along the length of the car. Lights blinked at them dangerously, but they smiled.

“Alright, Lil J,” Gavin turned to him. “Keep me alive, would ya?” He grinned.

Jeremy laughed quietly, whispering, “Of course, babe.” He dragged his boyfriend down into a kiss. They pulled away.

“Let’s get ‘em, cowboy,” Gavin rumbled. He clicked on his headset as they slipped into the abandoned building. He waited on the first floor, muttering, “Team Little Britain is in position.” Jeremy climbed the stairs of the decrepit apartment complex, crossing the floor to the room facing the Ammu-nation. He slung his rifle off his back and propped it up on the window frame; he looked through his scope and tested his field of view. Decent, but if Gavin went too far back into the store, he would lose eyes on him.

“Gav, try to keep them at this counter closest to the windows. If you go too deep, I’ll lose you,” he murmured into the headset.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Team Flashbang is in position. We move on Run and Gun’s signal."

“Den Momma, you got eyes on everyone, right?” Geoff asked.

“Affirmative,” Ray called. “Hey Michael, quit scratchin’ your ass.”

“Fuck you.”

“Alright.” The sound of Geoff’s car door opening and closing could be heard. “Open Haus is a go. Michael, let’s fuck it up.”

“Yes, daddy.”

“Oh,  _ gross _ ,” Ryan muttered while everyone else groaned in disgust.

The rest of the Crew settled back into silence as sounds of Geoff and Michael holding up their respective stores could be heard over the channel. Jeremy was still scanning the street. There were a few people on the sidewalks, but they were moving quickly. This was Funhaus territory, so it would only make sense that they wanted off the streets after dark. Good. The less people around, the better.

Jeremy picked his head up when he heard sirens start to wail in the distance. One car was particularly close, and he watched as the police cruiser screamed by in front of them. He clicked his headset, “Team Run and Gun, pigs are headed to the slaughterhouse.”

Geoff laughed over the channel. “Good one, Lil J. I like that. Team Run and Gun is stashed away right now. How things look on your end?”

“The police running the streets seem to have spooked who was left on the sidewalks. Pretty clear here.”

“We’ve got a few stragglers,” Ryan commented. “Look pretty shady. I’ll take ‘em out as soon as Flashbang and Little Britain get the go-ahead.”

“Should be soon,” Michael said. “I’m watching from here, and the pigs are sniffing around my place. Not too interested. They’ll be gone in a minute.”

“Alright, Michael, let’s head to our next target. Wait on the signal.”

“Hey, Ryan,” Gavin chirped over the comms.

“Oh god,  _ what? _ ” Jeremy could practically see the scowl on the Vagabond’s face as he said it. He grinned to himself as he swung his rifle around to watch the street. He saw the Ammun-nation’s owner walking around at the front of the store, no doubt riled by the sirens.

“If you had to have a dildo shoved up your arse to join the Crew,” he drawled, the smile permeating his question. “In front of  _ everyone _ ...would you have done it?”

“Can I have a curtain?” he asked. “Like, covering my lower half so you just watch my face?”

“Sure, you get a curtain.”

“Then I suppose.”

“What if there was no curtain?”

“Look I like you guys, but not that much.”

Ray piped up, “Rye, but what about that time--”

“Shut it, Ray.”

Gavin squawked over the comm, and everybody else laughed.

“Alright, shut the fuck up,” Geoff giggled. “Mogar and I are moving in.”

“Hey.” Ray’s voice was serious. “Kingpin, you’ve got a cop in the Pop Shoppe. He’s off duty, but he’s still in uniform. Take him out as soon as you jump in.”

“Got it.”

Everyone waited. Ray popped into the channel, “He got him, quit fuckin’ holdin’ your breath.” A collective sigh was heard.

“Alright, Flashbang, Little Britain!” Geoff was shouting into his mouthpiece. “Move the fuck in! We’ve got em on our tails!”

“Eat grenades, you fucking cunts!” Mogar was cackling over the comms.

“Alright, Gavin, go on.” Jeremy pressed his cheek to the stock of his rifle, staring through the scope. “I can see him. Have it ready.”

“Britain moving.” Suddenly, Gavin walked into his line of sight. Jeremy kept his sight square on the owner’s head. Gavin pushed into the store, and he held up his gun. The owner whipped around, and, just as Geoff had predicted, recognized Gavin immediately. Jeremy saw him open his mouth in a shout, and he tried to reach behind him for a gun. Gavin pulled the trigger and sprayed bullets into his chest. The owner fell. Jeremy scanned the street, taking out a woman backing away in horror at the scene she’d just watched through the window. 

“Gavin, behind you!” Ray shrieked.

“Fuck!” More gunshots could be heard over the comm. “Jeremy! Get down here!”

Heart pounding, Jeremy slung his rifle over his chest as he bolted for the stairs. He slid down the railing and raced across the street, sliding his shades over his eyes. He burst through the door, revolver in hand. Gavin was on the ground, clutching the top of his shoulder as he hid behind a counter.

“Bloody bipped me!” Gavin cried, holding the wound. The Brit pushed his sunglasses shakily onto his forehead. His eyes were wide and glassy. “He’s back there!”

“Jeremy, be careful! I lost visual on him!” Ray called. “Jack, there’s someone around the corner.”

Jeremy marched toward the back room, and he was greeted with the sight of a gun barrel. Lil J’s eyes widened, and he knocked it away, dragging the guy into an armbar as he swung around. He snapped the guy’s elbow over his knee, and the man shrieked beneath him. Jeremy threw him on the ground, and he heard his skull connect with the floor. Jeremy straddled his chest, and he rolled up his sleeves. “You made the biggest fucking mistake of your life when you took a shot at him,” he growled, a maniacal grin on his face.

“Ray, what’s going on back there?!” Gavin shouted, dragging himself to his feet.

“I can’t fuckin’ see ‘em, the camera doesn’t turn that far!” he yelled back. “Geoff, make a left!”

Gavin gritted his teeth, taking his blood coated palm off his shoulder. He picked up his AK off the ground; he slung it over his chest and ripped his pistol from the waistband of his jeans. He shuffled toward the sounds of fighting, raising his weapon as he rounded the corner. What he saw made him stop cold in the doorway.

His lover was still poised over the man that had shot him, raining down blow after blow. The man’s features were unrecognizable from the assault. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t breathing. His arm was bent ninety degrees the opposite direction. Gavin jumped away from the scene, vomit rising in his throat. “Jeremy!” he croaked. “We have to go!”

At the sound of Gavin’s strained voice, Jeremy jumped up, and he raced to his side. “How bad is it?” he asked, looking at his shoulder.

“Not important,” he muttered through gritted teeth. Sirens were on the way. “We have to go,  _ now _ .”

Jeremy nodded, and he and Gavin started for the front door. Ray was screaming in their ears to hurry, and the explosions of the garage could be heard from Ryan and Jack’s end. Michael was still laughing, and Geoff kept swearing nonsense. They had shuffled around to the building toward the getaway car and were met with the familiar sound of someone pumping a shotgun. The two turned, aiming their handguns at the source of the noise. They quickly realized the shotgun was the least of their problems.

A blonde man stepped around from the back of their SUV, swinging a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire lazily. He propped himself up on the hood of the car, eying them in silence. The man with the shotgun was short, but his cold eyes and rugged appearance told the two he was quite the force to be reckoned with. A woman came up behind Gavin, digging her nails into his bullet wound, making him hiss and forcing him to his knees. Jeremy turned to aim his pistol at her, but she pressed a blade to Gavin’s throat, grinning while she tutted. Jeremy caught the glint of a laser sight on a sniper rifle on the roof of the Ammu-nation which told him that Funhaus knew they were going to hit this place all along.. Two bearded men stepped from the shadows. One had an assault rifle and looked more like a PTA dad with those ridiculous plaid shorts than a gangster. The other had a tattoo wrapped around his forearm, and he was, professionally speaking, fucking jacked. Two 50 cal pistols were strapped to each thigh. This was looking grim for Team Little Britain. Jeremy could hear everyone yelling for them over the comm. But he couldn’t say a word.

The tattooed man stepped forward, reaching down to pull one gun from it’s holster. He cocked it, then fired one round past Jeremy’s ear. He didn’t flinch, but his ear was screaming, and he couldn’t hear anything. But the message? Well, that was heard loud and clear.

He stepped closer to Jeremy. With him distracted, the shotgun man kicked the back of Jeremy’s knee and forced him to the ground. The other man, who Jeremy assumed was the ringleader, pursed his lips. He tore Jeremy’s hat off his head and threw on the ground between them. Still, he did nothing.

“Team Little Britain!” Geoff yelled. “Are you headed to the rendezvous point?”

Nothing.

“Team Flashbang, meet Run and Gun at Little Britain’s last known location. Something’s gone wrong.”

“Cops are off you,” Ray confirmed. “Get to Little Britain. I don’t have eyes on them, but I never saw the car leave.”

Jeremy saw Gavin shift; he had heard. They just needed to stay alive a little longer. Unfortunately, Funhaus seemed to have other plans. The man shoved the hot barrel of his pistol into Jeremy’s exposed forehead, and he leaned down.

“You boys have caused quite the scene tonight,” he rumbled. “And we  _ really  _ don’t appreciate someone waltzing in like this and fucking around in our home.”

“Neither do we,” Jeremy retorted dryly. “Why do you think we’re here?”

“Oh,  _ right _ . The docks. Well you see, we run a  _ respectable  _ business here at Funhaus, and our people just love us. We needed more space, and God, you fuckers running the whole joint just wasn’t cutting it anymore.”

“We needed some wiggle room,” called the man with the baseball bat. He stepped off the truck and turned. He swung, smashing the headlight. He flinched visibly. “Oops.”

“Fuckin’--do you mind?” called the leader.

“It was an accident!” the other man shouted back. The man in the plaid shorts glared at him.

The leader rolled his eyes, and he turned back to the two men in front of him. “So we know you.” He tilted his head to Gavin who was blanching at the pain the woman was causing him. “You’re Gavin Free, notorious pretty boy from Britain who got all tangled up in Ramsey’s crew and became one of the worst forces to deal with.” He eyed him up and down. “Seems like the glory days might be coming to a close for Mr. Free here.” His gaze turned to Jeremy. “But you’re new. Very new. And we haven’t seen Ray around. Tell me...did someone finally put a bullet in that fucking kid’s brain, because goddamn, I would have liked it to have been us.”

Relief washed over Jeremy as he heard Geoff Ramsey’s voice echoing through the alley, “Not nice to speak ill of the dead, Kovic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A CLIFF HANGER!
> 
> Please leave kudos if you liked it and comment down below. Bonus points if you add #JustBlaze in honor of 4/20! (don't do drugs, kids)
> 
> P.S., remember when I planned to have 5 chapters AT MOST? I'm so stoked that this has become what it has. I hope you guys are enjoying the ride. I've still got some tricks up my sleeve for a few more chapters!


	6. Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to say I'm /so/ sorry there was such a gap between updates. As I'm posting this, I've just gotten home from college, and I finally have time to sit and write again!
> 
> Also, if you like this work, be on the lookout for a new project! I have two ideas in the works, and one will make it onto AO3 soon.
> 
> Now onto the story where things get interesting!

Kovic whipped around, face furrowing into rage when he saw Ramsey and the infamous Mogar practically snarling at his side. The kingpin had the butt of his AK jammed into his shoulder, barrel aimed at the Funhaus leader’s face. Michael was pacing and was itching to snap, fist curled around cool brass knuckles. Jeremy straightened up; he felt a lot less like they were fighting a losing battle.

Static crackled in Jeremy’s ear, and Ray mumbled, “Fucking answer me, you short asshole!” Jeremy bit back a retort, instead following Michael’s movements. “Fuck it, I’m calling B-Team.” About time, Ray, Jeremy thought.

“Well, look here. Ramsey came to play, boys.” Kovic turned away from the Fakes at his feet and faced Geoff. “And his pet bear? It’s just a fucking party tonight.” Mogar’s teeth were bared, muscles twitching in his neck. Kovic licked his lips and folded his arms. He jerked his chin at Geoff, and the man with the baseball bat immediately responded, swinging for Michael. Ah, but Michael had seen the signal clear as day and stepped out of the arc of the bat; he punched straight into the man’s exposed ribs, a crack echoing in the alley. Mogar swept the man’s feet out from under him, sending him plummeting to the ground where his nose caught the pavement with a sickening crunch. While he writhed in agony, Mogar whistled some shitty pop song while he picked up the bat branded “Funhaus” and slung it over his shoulder.

“Maybe you ought to start taking this more serious, Kovic,” Geoff stated, looking down his nose at the man on the ground. “I _really_ don’t have time for your bullshit.”

“Adam--” hissed the man in the plaid shorts, shifting anxiously. Jeremy noted that the loss of their muscle had made the apparent second-in-command nervous. Good.

Kovic raised his hand, shooting him a look that read, very clearly, ‘shut the fuck up.’ But Geoff saw the fear and smirked.

“We’re going to take the roof,” Ryan said into the comms. “It looks like they have a sniper up there though. Saw a sight bouncing. Buy us time.”

“Now, boys,” Geoff started, taking a step forward. “And lady.”

“Fuck off,” she snapped, fingers delving deeper into Gavin’s bullet wound. The squelching sound that came from her working his wound open made Jeremy gag. Gavin hardly took notice, eyes unfocused from pain. He was pale, and Jeremy was starting to panic. She glanced down and saw Jeremy’s face etched with worry. A grin pulled apart her face, and she hooked her fingers into the wound, dragging her nails against the torn flesh. Gavin let out a whine and tears sprang to his eyes. Geoff flicked his eyes away from Adam to look down at Gavin. He narrowed his eyes.

“So. I can give you the option to do this nicely.” He tightened his hold on the AK in his hands. “You leave with minimal injuries. We go back to our previous arrangement as far as the docks go. And it’s all good here.” None of the Funhaus members so much as breathed an answer in his direction. Kovic was practically a statue. Geoff curled his lip in annoyance, clicking the safety off his gun. “Gentlemen, this offer is a fucking steal, if you ask me. I’m being _very_ generous.” Mogar gripped the bat, and he swung, landing a heavy hit over the blonde man’s back who grunted in response. Half of Kovic’s crew shifted forward, clearly in a desire to run and help. But Adam kept still, so they rocked back on their heels, gritting their teeth to keep from moving on the Fakes.

“Maybe because you know you’re losing,” offered Adam. “We’ve got your golden boy pinned.” He gestured to Gavin who looked ready to pass out. “You lose him, and your whole shebang gets fucked, Ramsey.” A look of satisfaction crossed Kovic’s face. “We’re in charge here.”

“Team Flashbang has taken the roof,” Jack’s voice murmured over the comms out of nowhere. “You want us to take the sniper?”

“Leave him,” Geoff said. Adam tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in confusion at the statement. Geoff stood up taller, clearly much more confident. “You’re not in charge anymore, Kovic. This is our playground now. Willems here is in no shape to toy around.” Michael kicked the man in his likely-broken ribs for emphasis; he barked out ‘fuck!’ in response. “And now your sniper is out of commission.” The Funhaus leader whipped around, and he saw that the sniper’s red dot sight was gone. He snapped his head back around, face twisted with fury. “So I say you hand over my boys.”

“You’re not in a place to make demands, Ramsey!” Adam snarled. He pressed the barrel of his gun into Gavin’s forehead while the woman behind him pulled her blade closer to his throat. “You move, and Elyse wears his fucking brains on her jeans!” His cool composure was gone, foam on his lips.

The words chilled Jeremy’s blood. It was now or never. The man behind him still had the shotgun pressed into his neck. Lil J looked up at Geoff, doing his best to communicate with his eyes that he was ready to move. Geoff caught his gaze, and, with a smile, he lifted one fist and snapped his fingers.

In a split second, a shot from the roof ripped open Kovic’s shoulder, sending him spinning away from Gavin, Mogar came running for Elyse. Geoff was barking out orders into his headset while he shot at the man in shorts who was running for cover. Jeremy had spun around, knocking away the barrel of the shotgun with his forearm. The man holding it staggered, and Jeremy’s fist connected with his gut. Lil J stood and swung his elbow; it hit the man’s jaw, and he collapsed, nearly unconcious. He turned and saw Kovic raise his gun with his good arm. Jeremy flew forward and swung haphazardly. His fist hit directly in Adam’s mouth, and Kovic’s teeth split open the skin on his knuckles. They cut deep, and Jeremy started bleeding instantly, but he swung again. This time, he struck Adam’s temple, and the Funhaus leader was visibly dazed. Taking his chance, Jeremy snatched the taller man into a sloppy chokehold, digging his hand into the man’s bullet wound.

“How’s that feel, you fucker?” he spat into his ear, pulling at the open wound. Kovic was flailing his feet, desperate for a grip.

“B-Team is pulling up in a van!” Ray shouted into their comms. “Fucking go! Get out of there!”

Jeremy threw Adam on the ground, and he ripped his pistol from the holster on his ribs. He fired twice by Kovic’s ear. “Remember me, asshole. I’m coming for you next time.” He raced over to Gavin, picking him up bridal style.

“Jer’my?” he murmured, eyes clouded with pain. “Hurts,” he whined.

“I know, sweetheart, but it’s gonna be okay. It’s not anywhere bad.” He jogged awkwardly to the van, attempting to avoid jostling Gavin. The door slid open, and Lindsay opened her arms.

“Give him.” She jerked her chin. “Go help Michael, we’ve got him.”

Jeremy nodded to her, and he immediately raised his pistol to run back to Mogar. The woman, Elyse, had Michael on the ground. She was straddling his chest, knees pushed into his forearms. She had sliced a cut from under the right side of Michael’s jaw to the middle of his cheek, and she was grinning from ear to ear. Michael was roaring. Jeremy took a shot while he was running; it was a shitty one, the bullet catching her in the back. She slumped forward, and Michael threw her off him.

“Geoff!” he shrieked. “Leave him, let’s _go!_ ”

The kingpin was in a firefight with the man taking cover. But once he saw the damage to Michael, he abandoned him and stormed toward his lover. “Holy shit,” he breathed.

“There’s no time, we’ve gotta go!” The three of them raced for the van, and they scrambled in. Michael tore the pin out of a grenade with his teeth and threw it. “Suck it, Fuckhaus!”

“Matt, gun it!” Lindsay shouted. Her gloved hands were bloody from digging in Gavin’s shoulder. She looked up at Michael. “Fucking shit, you assholes are giving me a run for my money tonight.”

“I’ll be fine,” Mogar promised, wincing as Geoff pressed a cloth to his face. He nodded toward Gavin. “Get him sorted out. Kdin can patch me up.” Lindsay tilted her head in a silent ‘thanks’ and went back to cleaning the Brit’s gunshot wound.

Jeremy was holding Gavin’s hand, pressing his lips to his knuckles. He closed his eyes, listening to Geoff fuss over Michael quietly beside him. Trevor and Matt were discussing the best route to avoid police activity, checking the scanner constantly. Kdin was wrapping up a wound on Jack’s arm, asking if she needed vicodin; she grunted noncommittally, and Kdin handed her a bottle. Ryan was watching out the back window in case Funhaus tried to follow, talking softly to Ray. It had gone so wrong so quickly.

“How did they know?” Jeremy murmured against Gavin’s skin. “How’d they know we would be there?”

“The only way they could’ve known is from someone on the inside,” Geoff muttered back, watching Lindsay begin to stitch Gavin’s shoulder. “We’ve got a leak, and we need to find it.”

“Yeah.” Jeremy looked at the blood smears on Gav’s chest, looked at his face that was drained of color. “Yeah we do.”

* * *

 

Gavin didn’t wake up until noon the next day. Jeremy spent the time helping Ray, Kdin, and Lindsay patch up the crew while Matt and Trevor began digging through their ranks for the traitor. Geoff had taken a stray bullet to his thigh, and they spent a good three hours trying to dig out the bullet and sew him up. Jack had a fractured forearm from her scuffle with the Funhaus sniper before Ryan had promptly split his skull open. Ryan had a few scrapes and burns from their escapade at the garage, but nothing serious. Michael kept refusing treatment for the cut on his face and neck, until Ray finally convinced him to let him stitch it. It was deepest on and around his jaw, so it would scar there. Michael tried not to show his excitement. Kdin taped up Jeremy’s knuckles, flinching when he realised that he could see the bone when Jeremy flexed his fingers. That, too, would scar. Once everyone was patched up, they slept in piles on the floor.

Jeremy had slipped into Gavin’s room to check on him while the crew littered the penthouse carpet. The Brit was sitting up and drinking--well, chugging would be more accurate--from the water bottle Trevor had left for him. A bright blue sling held his left arm up.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Jeremy teased with a smile, leaning in the doorway.

Gavin’s eyebrows raised; he finished off the bottle and tossed it aside, grinning, “Lil J! Come here.” Gavin patted the open area beside him. Jeremy immediately walked over and climbed into the bed. The Brit pressed his lips to Jeremy’s softly, bumping their noses. “How are you, my love?”

The shorter man grinned, kissing Gavin’s cheekbone. “I’m fine. You don’t sound too bad yourself.” Jeremy stroked Gav’s hair, humming happily.

“I’m not bad. Got some vicodin in me, so it’s all smooth sailin’.” Gavin closed his eyes. “But I’m bloody starving.”

“Thank Kdin for the drugs,” Jeremy said. “And I’ll get you something in a bit. Just let me stay here for a minute.”

For the next few moments, they were silent. Jeremy touched Gavin’s face with feather-light movements and just relished in his presence. Gav kissed Jeremy’s forehead and ran his good hand through Jeremy’s hair. They remained that way for several minutes, soothing one another with soft touches and kisses.

“I saw what you did to that guy,” Gavin finally whispered. “The one in the ammo store.”

Jeremy stiffened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to--”

“Shh, love.” Gavin kissed Jeremy slowly, leaving his face flushed when Gav pulled away. “Thank you. You showed me how much you care.” Gavin smirked. “Though, most people just buy flowers.”

Jeremy laughed, a sound that had sent shivers down his spine since day one. “I’ll remember that for next time.” His eyes were dancing. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Gavin.”

The Brit picked up Jeremy’s hand, observing the tape. He raised an eyebrow at Jeremy. “When did this happen?”

“Oh, ya know, when you were half-conscious on the asphalt in the alley,” Jeremy retorted, smiling. “Busted ‘em open on Kovic’s teeth. It was a shitty swing, so I kinda expected it.”

Gavin rolled his eyes and kissed the tape anyway. “Now, dear, will you pretty please get me something to eat?” He batted his eyelashes for added emphasis.

Jeremy giggled and snatched his hand away. “Yes, O’ King.” He stood up and bowed, winking at Gavin. He strutted out, closing the door quietly. He wandered into the kitchen, and he began to rummage through the cabinets. A noise startled him, and he whipped around, balling his fists.

“Whoa, easy,” Trevor murmured, raising his hands. There were dark circles around his eyes, and Jeremy frowned.

“Treco, you’ve been working yourself to the bone,” he whispered, glancing over to make sure he didn’t wake the other crew members. “Take a breather, man.”

Trevor scrubbed his hands over his face. “Yeah, but I think I’m onto something.” He started for his laptop, waving Jeremy over. The shorter man set down the bread and followed him. “I got Ray to get into Kovic’s burner phone before he passed the hell out.” Jeremy looked over, and he saw Ray curled into Ryan’s chest on the couch. “I saw a number pop up in the records from about two months ago, so I tried to check it out. It’s another burner. But when I started comparing it to heists, this number always called three days before and the night before. It also calls at seemingly random times, but when I looked through the records, I found that Funhaus hit the docks right after each call.” Trevor was shuffling through papers.

“So it’s inner circle?” Jeremy asked, bewildered.

“No!” Trevor flinched, lowering his voice. “Well, not _inner_ inner circle. The top seven are clean. I triple checked Ray since he’s been out of the game recently.” Trevor faced Jeremy. “Then I started with B-Team. And there’s some inconsistencies. Everyone is clean except Kerry.”

“Kerry?” Jeremy hissed, bewildered. “You’re kidding.”

“I’ve been searching, and all signs point to Shawcross. He’s been hanging with a former Funhaus member they called Spoole. I checked his records, and two months ago he bought a burner phone. A week before Kovic started getting calls.” Trevor was pointing at the evidence that spanned over months.

“Wait--Kerry was the one that told Geoff about Funhaus’s location. And that they had gotten wind of our heist!” Jeremy was positively livid, thinking of all the damage Shawcross had caused his crew. “He’s fucking crossing both of us!”

“It looks like it. And it’s worse. _Way_ worse."

“How could it be way worse?”

Trevor slapped phone records down in front of Jeremy. “See this number?” He pointed,

Jeremy looked down, tilting his head. “Yeah, what about it?”

“It’s a number that Kerry calls constantly from this phone and his personal phone.” Trevor met Jeremy’s eyes. “It’s an Austin number. More importantly, it’s Burn’s number.”

“Okay?” Jeremy wasn’t following, and Trevor sighed.

“He’s working for them! RT has started using Kerry to play us against Funhaus!” he hissed.

“Mother _fucker_. Why?” Jeremy was pacing, rage making his hands shake.

“My only guess is they were worried we would take Funhaus on as our own, get stronger. Or that we were just too strong anyway.” Trevor stood up. “We’ve been asking for months for them to get someone in the LSPD for us, and they just ‘haven’t had the manpower.’ They started trying to fuck us over months ago, but they’ve been so busy turning us on Funhaus that we didn’t catch on.”

“Goddamn.” Jeremy stilled himself enough to look through the paperwork. “Wait. This number is on Kovic’s records, too.” He snapped his head up; Trevor furrowed his brow. “Do you think--”

“Do I think RT took on Funhaus and did the same fucking shit to them?” Trevor grinned, but it was hollow. “Oh, I _absolutely_ do.”

Jeremy looked down, eyes scanning through the paperwork again. This couldn’t be happening. RT was someone he’d worked for for _years_. He’d admired them, would’ve died for them. And now they’d shipped him off to a Crew they were trying to kill. He looked across the room at the Fake AH Crew, seeing Ray and Ryan snuggled against one another, Michael and Geoff tangled together with Lindsay laid across them. Kdin was back to back with Jack, and Matt was face down at their feet. Gavin was lying in bed with a ripped open shoulder. And Jeremy’s thoughts wandered to Funhaus, how they were probably in a similar state: battered and broken, all of them torn apart by RT.

“Wake up Geoff,” Jeremy muttered darkly. “We’ve got a new heist on our hands.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things fall apart.
> 
> Next chapter will have a bit of a time jump, but it will be full of surprises and fun things! Should be a long one, and it will, yes, be somewhat modeled after Lil J's Heist.
> 
> Be sure to leave a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed!! It really helps me as an author!!


	7. Something Old, Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to get published! It took me forever to decide how to do it, but eventually something came to me!
> 
> This chapter does a few interesting things with time jumps and skipping between past and present. I hope it makes sense!
> 
> also WARNING: lots of angst
> 
> Enjoy!

Jeremy wasn’t quite sure where the heist went wrong. There had been hiccups early on. Kerry had flown in later than anticipated, the cargobob hadn’t been where it was supposed to, and goddamn, those pesky rocks always fucked with the boats, didn’t they? But Jeremy supposed the plan had really begun to unravel at the resistance on the bridge.

They’d put Ryan on the turret, and he’d ripped apart every goddamn car on that bridge in a matter of minutes waiting for Gavin. But the second word got back to the LSPD,it was a war zone. Ryan was dotted with scrap metal shards and had a few grazes from bullets, but the infamous Vagabond laugh rang across every explosion. Unfortunately, it made it that much harder for Gavin to dip in and snatch up the limo containing the three of them. It took much longer than they’d thought and Michael had nearly lost his damn head twice. After fighting for a heart-pounding five and half minutes, Gavin had pulled them off the bridge and was headed for the yacht.

Jeremy thought after that there would be no problem. All that was left was for he and Geoff to meet Jack along the beach. The major portion, snagging Shawcross, was over. They were in the clear. Right?

The Los Santos Police Department swarmed the beach. Jeremy and Geoff had started spraying as they ran, taking out every goddamn cop in sight. The blood was roaring in Jeremy’s ears as panic took hold; Geoff was screaming in the comms for Jack, begging her please hurry. Jeremy vaguely remembered hearing Gavin’s voice over the telltale whine of a cargobob engine failing saying, “Love you, Lil J.” He opened his mouth to ask what was happening, but before he could get a word out, a cop stepped out in front of him and fired. Three shots punched through his chest before he blew the guy’s head off; a fourth bullet from behind scraped by his neck as he fell. His vision was blurred as he saw Geoff skid to a stop and run back to pull Jeremy to a section of beach protected by a large rock formation. Jeremy looked up and saw Geoff crying, shaking him as he looked over Jeremy. Blood was pooling in his mouth and running down his lip. He didn’t understand. He had body armor. Why was he bleeding?

“This--this is Scary Butt.” Geoff was choking on his sobs. Jeremy wanted to laugh at the stupid fucking codename, but his chest felt like it was breaking apart with every heartbeat. “Armor is compromised. Screwattack sold us fakes.” He was pressing his hands over Jeremy’s wounds. “Do  _ not  _ get shot.” He swore under his breath as he yanked a pin from a grenade and tossed it. The explosion nearly drowned out his next question: “Team Crazy Mad a-and Stupid? M-Mogar? Are--are you--?”

There was nothing but silence. Jeremy shook his head, his movements slow and pained. “Gav,” he mumbled, blood thick in his mouth. Geoff’s chest was heaving, and he wasn’t responding to Jack asking where they were. Oh god, he was having a panic attack. Jeremy reached up to touch Geoff’s arm in a failed attempt to calm him down. The scream of a Luxor engine told them that Jack was here. Geoff was barely able to pick himself up off the ground. He waved his arms, tears streaming down his face, crying for Jack as he hiccupped broken sentences. It sounded like the Lord’s Prayer. Jeremy’s eyes were starting to close. The sand was red.

“This is Savage Animal Idiot!” Michael shrieked over the comms. “We’re okay! We’re fucking alive!” Geoff screamed, the sound wet with tears and raw with pain. Oh god, Michael was  _ alive _ .

“Monster Truck!” Gavin wailed. “Jeremy! What’s your status?”

Geoff finally managed to slur into the channel, “H-he’s down. Fuck, he’s h-hurt real fuckin’ bad. Jesus Christ. Water Choo Choo i-is p-picking us up. C-caall B-Team. Call Kovic. Call  _ everyone _ .” He could barely see as he lifted Jeremy off the ground. He couldn’t hold his neck up, so he watched the sky turn into the ceiling of a Luxor. Geoff laid him down and cut through his shirt. Jack was shaking as she got the plane off the ground and started toward the yacht. Jeremy thought he might vomit between the pain and the way the plane was jolting.

“B-Team and Brownman en route,” Ryan hummed. “Calling Kovic now. Stay with us, J.”

Jeremy tried to speak but it came out as a horrific gurgle. Geoff was still crying as he tried to press gauze against Jeremy’s wounds. The comm went quiet.

Out of the silence came Gavin. He was soft as he spoke, “Jeremy, do you remember when we first met?”

Jeremy responded ‘yes’ but it just came out as a wheeze. He was too weak to cry, but his eyes still stung. Everything ached, and he couldn’t breathe.

“Thought you were a right prick,” he murmured. No one else said anything, just listened. They knew. “But I didn’t know then that I’d fall so damn in love with you.” Jeremy’s throat was tight. He tried to say something, but it just translated as a strangled whine. “I know. I know you love me.” Jeremy blinked slowly, barely opening them again. “It’s alright, love. It’s alright.”

He closed his eyes.

* * *

 

“Not with your boyfriend?”

“He’s still asleep.”

Jeremy hopped the couch and sat down beside Michael. It’d been two weeks since Open Haus had gone down. B-Team had left the night before, eager to escape the grumpy Crew. Geoff had finally started using crutches, and Gavin’s arm didn’t show any signs of infection. They left a load of antibiotics and painkillers just in case, on top of gauze and supplies to restitch anyone should one of them pop theirs.

“Figures,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “He suckered Lindsay into doping him up one more time. I swear, I think he’s addicted.” Michael reached up and scratched at his face.

“Hey, quit it!” Jeremy swatted his hand. “You pop a stitch, I’m kicking your ass.” Michael rolled his eyes, before perking at the rhythmic  _ ‘whump’  _ of Geoff’s crutches. He turned and saw his boyfriend hobbling into the room, and Michael smiled.

“Need help?” he asked, already standing.

“I--Yeah, can you just get me a smoothie or something?” Geoff thumped into the living room and fell roughly into the chair. Michael stopped to press a kiss to his head before heading to the kitchen. “Mornin’, J.”

“How ya feeling, boss?” Jeremy asked, looking at Geoff’s wrapped thigh.

“Better, I guess. Thanks.” Geoff pressed his middle finger to his temple and scrunched his eyes shut. “My head’s pounding. What the fuck did Lindsay give me?”

“Beats me,” Michael called from the kitchen. “According to Jeremy, Gavin’s still asleep so whatever is must be good shit.”

“Good shit, my left ass cheek,” Geoff snapped. “It’s like someone took a tire iron to my head. Believe me, I’d  _ know _ .”

Michael laughed, “Settle down, old man.” He walked over and handed Geoff a gritty looking protien shake. “Chocolate flavored. And some pills for your head.” Michael moved to sit beside Jeremy again, laying out and throwing his legs over Jeremy’s lap.

“How’s Gavin been doing?” Geoff tossed the pills in his mouth and washed them down with the shake. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, raising an eyebrow at Jeremy.

“He’s pretty bummed about being down an arm.” Lil J furrowed his brow. “I’m hoping he gets out of this mood soon. Don’t like seeing him sad.”

Geoff shook his head, looking weary, but Michael piped up, “He’ll be okay. Once he realizes he’s not totally helpless, he’ll come around. Geoff’s the same way. Doesn’t like feeling trapped.”

“You’ve never been fucked up like this before,” Geoff said, eyebrows shooting up, “It’s scary shit, man, not having control of your body. Especially in this line of work.”

“Yeah. I once took a shot to the chest, but the way it hit, it grazed a nerve or my spinal cord or  _ something _ .” Jeremy shook his head and sighed. “Was in a wheelchair for a month. They weren’t sure if I was going to walk again.” He leaned back and propped his elbows up on the couch. “That was when I first started in the business, though. Been awhile since my last major one.” At that, Geoff scowled and reached over to knock repeatedly on the side table. “Uh...why?”

Michael grinned. “Southern thing. They do that ‘knock on wood’ shit to keep you from jinxing yourself.” He winked at Geoff. “He’s got all sorts of weird fuckin’ habits like that.”

“Whatever, Jones!” Geoff grumbled around his straw. Michael smiled, his eyes sparkling.

Jeremy smiled. “So how did this--” He gestured between the two men. “Absolute shitshow happen?”

Michael giggled, looking at Geoff. “Oh man, if I knew the answer I’d tell you.” Geoff rolled his eyes. “Nah, but, I started out in the fighting circuit here. I was okay. But one night, got the  _ shit  _ kicked out of me.”

“It was like someone backed a fuckin’  bus over him,” Geoff added.

“I was walking home--”

“Limping.”

“Jesus Christ- _ -Let me tell the story, Geoff! _ ” he roared, face still alight with a smile. “Anyway! I was fuckin’  _ limping  _ home! It’s raining like hell.  And a car pulls up beside me. Some weird ass dude hands me a fuckin’ jacket. And I’m like “the fuck you giving me this for?” and the guy’s all like, “It’s raining, asshole. Take it.” Real charmer, right? So, I take this stupid ass jacket--it’s got a bear paw on it for Christ’s sake!-- and put it on, and he tells me some, like, Vin Diesel shit about kicking this city’s teeth in, or  _ whatever _ . And just drives off! Well, I guess that infomercial shit worked on me because after that, dude, I was a fucking fighting  _ machine _ . I won every match. The night of my biggest fight, that weird asshole showed back up. “Join my Crew,” he said. And I said okay.”

“Okay?” Jeremy asked. “You didn’t ask anything else?”

“Nope.” Michael grinned. He looked at Geoff, and Jeremy saw the intensity of the love Michael held for him. “As long as I could be around this idiot, I was cool with whatever.”

“I’d pull the moon out of the sky for this asshole,” Geoff grumbled, shooting him a glare. His eyes gave away the affection in his words, and Jeremy was smiling, shaking his head. He knew what Geoff meant, because, oh god, he’d do the same for Gavin. He’d give him the stars if he could.

“That’s pretty gay, Geoff,” Michael said, giggles taking him over and making him curl into a ball.

“Yeah, please tone it down. I’m gonna fuckin’ barf,” Jeremy said, reaching behind him to pick up a pillow and shove it onto Michael’s face.

“Fuck off, Jeremy!”

* * *

 

“Stay with us, J!”

“Where is B-Team you said they were on the way!”

“They were, I don’t know what happened to them!”

“Oh god, please stay awake, Jeremy.”

* * *

 

“It’s too soon.”

“I agree. We still need to recover.”

Geoff was swinging himself around the room. His crutches were now decorated in graffiti from the various Crew members, and now Geoff had “way more street cred” according to Ray. The kingpin sighed and sat down, propping them on the table.

“Listen,” he murmured. “I know you’re still pissed. We’re still sore. I get it. But it’s been nearly three months since Open Haus. They deserve to know, first off, that they’re being fucked over by RT. And second, we’re going to need them to take RT on. RT’s smaller than ever, but they’re crafty. They’ve been in the game a long, long time. And we need numbers to get the upper hand.” He looked around. “I figured you’d be unhappy with me, but hear me out. I told Kovic I have information for him, but--” He raised a hand to stop the inevitable shout of protests. “We’re going to do a video call. I had Ray set us up a secure connection. This is to keep everyone away from each other and still get shit done.”

Silence fell over the room. Jeremy shift in his seat, looking over at Gavin who had reached up to touch his shoulder. There was shakiness in his movements; Jeremy sighed heavily, turning his gaze back to Geoff.

“Do you think he’ll believe us?” Michael asked. He was thumbing the bright white scar on his cheek.

“He seemed to believe me enough to agree to the call. So I hope so.” Geoff scrubbed his face. “If anyone wants to leave and not be apart of this call, I understand.” No one moved. “Alright.”

The room was quiet again as Geoff set up the laptop. Gavin had given his good hand to let Jeremy hold, and Jeremy squeezed it tight. After Gavin had woken up one night in a cold sweat and screaming, Jeremy had finally coaxed out what was bothering him. Gavin, as it turned out, was terrified of death. He lived dangerously, always driving reckless, taking risky jobs, allowed himself to be used as a hostage, but in these situations, he was always in control. With a knife to his throat and a gun at his forehead, he’d been a whisper away from dying on the dirty pavement of Los Santos. He played fast and loud, but at the end of the day, he wanted to come home alive. He looked over his lover and saw the shake in his shoulders was gone, and he smiled.

There was a soft chime from the laptop, and Jeremy pulled himself out his thoughts. He looked up and saw Geoff had turned the computer around and was scooting his chair around to join the rest of the Crew in front of the camera.

“Alright, try to be nice,” Geoff muttered, reaching out to accept the video call.

Adam’s face appeared, and everyone stiffened as a reflex. The rest of Funhaus was tucked behind him, looking over his shoulder. “Ramsey.”

“Kovic.” An awkward pause followed the curt introduction. “How’s the arm?”

The Funhaus leader looked down at the bright blue sling. “Been better. But not bad.”

“Aye, twinsies!” Gavin cheered, twisting his body to show off his own sling. Michael slapped his forehead, and Jeremy heard him mutter ‘jesus fucking christ.’

But to everyone’s surprise, Kovic smiled and rolled his eyes. “Oh joy. Just the person I wanted to match with.”

The tension dropped from Geoff’s shoulders, and he smirked. “Boo-hoo, Kovic. Try livin’ with him.”

Gavin squawked indignantly, and the room filled with laughter. The tension eased, and Geoff looked over gratefully at Gavin. The room quieted down, and everyone settled back to business mode.

“Alright, Ramsey,” Adam said, brows knitting together. “So you said you had information we’d be interested in.”

Geoff laced his fingers together and leaned closer to the computer, sighing. “Alright. I’m going to be straight up with you: we know about Shawcross.” Kovic stiffened, and the Funhaus members shifted uncomfortably. “We’re dealing with him. But, there’s something you should know. He’s been playing you. He’s been playing both of us.”

“What do you mean?” Kovic’s voice had an edge to it, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

“Shawcross hasn’t just been feeding us information on each other. He’s working for RT, and they’re playing us against each other on purpose.” Geoff cracked his knuckles. “They want us to tear each other apart. I think they were worried about us taking them over now that they’re so small. So they’ve kept us busy here.”

Kovic sighed, carding his fingers through his hair. “What’s your proof?”

“Combed through Shawcross’s emails, calls, texts,” Jeremy supplied. “And he’s been cashing in. RT’s been paying him good money to keep it up and keep quiet.”

Adam turned. “Lawrence?”

“On it.” A man with thick-rimmed glasses stood and moved off screen.

“I’ll have him confirm what you’ve told us,” Adam said, folding his arms. “But I doubt you’d give us false information.”

“When you verify what we’ve told you, would you be interested in potentially forming an alliance of sorts? We would continue on pretty much the same, we would just be stronger, have more power.” Geoff searched Kovic’s face for a reaction. “Could take down RT.”

“We’ll see, Ramsey. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” But there was the smallest of smiles on Adam’s face, and his eyes glinted mischeviously.

“Call me when you’ve made up your mind,” Geoff said. “I’ll be waiting.” He hung up the video call and swiveled to look at everyone.

There was a beat of silence before Jack said, “So they’re totally game to join up.”

“Oh, most definitely,” Geoff said. “You see Kovic’s face? Hook, line, and sinker. I’m thinkin’ we change their name to Fakehaus, keep with the branding.” Jack smiled and rolled her eyes at him. Geoff grinned and spread his arms. “Bevs on me tonight, boys! But, uh, can someone grab my crutches please?”

* * *

 

“He’s breathing!”

“Jesus Christ--he’s alive?”

“Yes, but we’ve gotta move fast!”

“Jeremy? If you can hear me, just hold on.”

* * *

 

It was a Tuesday when Ray told them. He avoided eye contact with everyone, taking solace in Ryan’s hand on his waist. The words slipped out, barely audible. But everyone came to a halt. Geoff dropped the dishes he was washing into the sink with a loud ‘bang.’ Jack stood slowly from her chair. Gavin stopped eating and stared at his plate. Jeremy whipped his head around to stare. Michael turned away and braced himself against the counter.

“Boys…” Jack said quietly. “Are...are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Ray’s voice was soft, but there was a firmness that showed there was no talking him out of it. “I’ve been here too long as it is. It’s been  _ five months _ . I wanted out, and I still do.”

“But Ryan doesn’t,” Geoff growled.

The Vagabond stared at him. “We’ve picked an apartment that is close by, so that I can still be accessible.” His eyes were cold, daring Geoff to say something else.

“What if--what if we still need you--” Jack was shivering. It felt like she was losing her child for the second time that year. “What if--”

Ray stepped across the living room and wrapped Jack up in a tight hug. “I’ll be close. And you can visit whenever. The place we got has a guest room, so you can even stay the night sometimes.” Jack hugged him back, nuzzling the top of his head. “Don’t worry, Mama Bear.”

She squeezed him one more time and slowly let him go. Ray smiled up at her, before turning to look across the room. Gavin was still looking down, shoulders shaking, He crossed back toward the bar and wound his arms around his waist.

“X-Ray and Vav, right?” he hummed into his shoulder. “I’m not dying. Come bug me whenever.”

Gavin loosened Ray’s hold on him enough to hop down from his chair and hold him against his chest. “X-Ray and Vav,” he murmured, fingers digging into Ray’s back. He held him there for a minute until the shaking stopped. Gavin’s arms fell away from Ray who smiled softly, nodding. He made his way to Michael, who snatched him up immediately.

“Our wittle Way is gwowing up!” teased Michael, swinging him around. Ray squirmed in his grip.

“Fuck off,” he snapped, trying to pry himself from the death grip on his waist. Michael dropped him and grinned. “Come visit, man.”

“Oh, you know I will.” Michael punched his shoulder. Ray wandered over to Geoff who still hadn’t picked up the dishes he’d dropped. He sighed when Ray hugged him, letting himself slouch in defeat.

“ _ Thank you _ ,” Ray whispered sincerely, eyes stinging as he tightened his hold on Geoff, “For everything.”

Geoff turned and pulled Ray to his chest, tears slipping down his cheeks. “I love you, kid.”

There was a lump in Ray’s throat as he blinked back his own tears. “Love you, too, old man.” He stepped back and wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie.

“I’ll be by soon,” Geoff murmured, mussing up Ray’s hair.

“I don’t doubt it,” Ray smiled, and he turned. One left. He strode across the room to Jeremy, passing a glance of Ryan hugging Jack as she cried quietly into his jacket. He stopped in front of Jeremy, examining him quietly before speaking, “Take of care of these kids, okay? And take care of yourself. You’re a fucking good guy. I want you to stay alive so I can get to know you better.”

“Can’t promise that,” Jeremy teased, smiling at him. “You ever want to play, just shoot me a text. I could stand the escape.”

“You ‘n’ me both.” Ray looked over his shoulder at Gavin looking down solemnly at his food. “You’re good for him, ya know? Haven’t seen that spark in his eye in a while.”

Jeremy smiled, “Thanks. He’s…” He was everything at him. He looked at Gavin, smiling fondly. “Yeah.”

Ray chuckled softly. “I know the feeling.” He pulled Jeremy into a hug that neither of them were expecting. They were quiet until Ray stepped back. “See you soon?”

“Sure,” Jeremy said. He watched Ray walk back to where he and Ryan had delivered their news. He waited for Ryan to finish calming Jack down. Ryan crossed the room and settled beside Ray.

A heavy silence filled the room, weighing down everyone’s shoulders and souls; no one made eye contact for a while. Soft clinks disrupted the tension where Gavin was trying to force himself to eat. It was like a bad dream everybody was attempting to wake themselves up from.

Ryan’s phone buzzed, and he checked it; he looked down at Ray, “The truck is there.”

Ray swallowed hard, looking up and across the room. Leaving your family once was hard enough. Twice? “Guess we should go.” No one answered. “Bye, guys.” His voice was hoarse with tears threatening to fall.

“Bye, Ray.”

“Cheers.”

“Later, nerd.”

“We’ll visit soon.”

“Lock the door when you leave.”

Nobody watched as the couple shuffled out. The door clicked shut.

* * *

 

Jeremy’s eyes fluttered open, and he whined softly. He was in a bed. His bed? Maybe. There were distant voices that told him he wasn’t alone. Jeremy reached up, his movements sluggish and pained. There were blood soaked bandages wrapped around his chest, and he blinked in confusion. Then he remembered: the heist. He remembered breathing shallow in the Luxor, hearing Geoff crying over him, sputtering out, “I can’t lose you, kid, I can’t.” He remembered Gavin telling him he loved him. Then he closed his eyes. He remembered, much later, someone screaming, “He’s breathing again!” and his chest sore from compressions.

Jeremy pulled the bandages, satisfied when they ripped easily under his nails. He looked down and saw the crisscrossing of stitches and crusted blood. Immediately, he regretted tearing off the bandages. Jeremy looked around, and he decided he should probably find someone to rebandage him. He stood slowly, body aching like he’d been hit by a train. Jeremy rubbed his eyes as he wandered into the living room.

“Hey, can someone rewrap my chest?” he slurred, stretching slowly.

Gavin screamed, a reaction he wasn’t expecting. He flinched, eyes flying open as he looked around. Jack was running over, touching his chest and babbling nonsense. Michael was shouting every expletive known to man. Geoff had fallen on the floor (well, that’s what he assumed. Geoff usually wasn’t one to sit on the floor of the kitchen.) and Ryan was wide-eyed.

“What the fuck, guys?” he shouted. Ray popped his gum in stunned silence. From somewhere to his right Kovic appeared, and mumbled, ‘son of a bitch.’ “Can someone explain, please?”

Gavin took long strides toward Jeremy, shoving Jack aside and looking him over with tears streaming down his face. “Jeremy, y-you were dead.” He touched him gently, as if he weren’t sure he was real.

“Yeah, I know, I remember waking back up,” he said softly, running his fingertips over Gavin’s bruised cheek. Funny, it was the same one he’d hit him on the day they met.

“No, Jeremy,” Gavin mumbled, covering his hand with his own.

“Kid, you  _ died _ ,” Kovic said, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“I’m really not following,” Jeremy said, looking over at the Fakehaus member.

Kovic shook his head. “You died three hours ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaaaaat?! another plot twist!
> 
> please kudos and comment if you enjoyed!!


	8. O Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHRIST it's been a while since I've updated. Truth be told, I've been stuck on where to go with this bad boy for a while. I can tell it's reaching it's end. Next chapter will likely be the last. It's been an incredible ride.

Jeremy’s eyes were locked on the wall opposite him as gauze was rolled gently over his stitched chest. He was shivering from the air conditioning, and his head was swimming. He was vaguely aware of Gavin squeezing his hand and kissing his shoulder. Geoff was pacing beside him, gripping a bottle of whiskey by the neck and taking hefty swigs from time to time. Jack taped the gauze and smoothed it over, standing from where she’d been kneeling behind Jeremy; she stepped around to press two pills into his open hand. Michael was talking quietly with Ray and Kovic, something about Kerry.

“I don’t get it,” Jeremy finally mumbled. He was still fixated on an invisible point, unable to break out of the sort-of trance he was in. “I don’t get it.”

“None of us do,” Jack said quietly, reaching to grab a water bottle. She gave it to Jeremy who never looked away from his spot on the wall. The pills clicked against his teeth as washed them down. She stroked through his hair, amber eyes soft as she watched his chest rise and fall. There was no way he should be alive, but here he was, heart beating and blood pumping right in front of them.

“Was it an error?” Geoff asked before tilting the bottle back up again. He crossed the floor and sat down in a bar stool, watching Jeremy from across the room. “Did Trevor fuck up?”

“No,” Ryan rumbled from beside him. “I was there. And I know dead bodies. Lindsay did everything she could.”

“Can a heart just...restart?” Gavin’s voice was small, and it pulled Jeremy back to reality. He looked over at his lover, combing over his features like it was the first time he was seeing him. He supposed in a way it was.

“No.”

Jeremy put down his water bottle and reached up to cup Gavin’s face, meeting his gaze. Gav’s eyes were dull from exhaustion and swollen from crying, but they were still that same breathtaking blue. There were tear tracks long-dried streaking his face and his lips were chapped. A bruise covered most of his cheek, but goddamn, Jeremy never loved him more than right now. He leaned in and kissed Gav slowly, trying to remind himself of who he was almost. When he pulled away, Gavin had a small smile on his face, and his eyes had lost some of that tired look.

“We can figure out how Jeremy rose from the fuckin’ dead later,” Geoff muttered, setting down his bottle of whiskey long enough to scrub his face. “Nobody’s slept since the heist. Let’s rest and reconvene when we’re all feeling better.” He turned to meet Kovic’s gaze. He had stayed with them since they’d called hours ago. During post-heist, Adam had called Fakehaus to clear the streets and take Shawcross to a secure location. However, Kovic had stayed and tended to the other members wounds with Ray since B-Team had been fully occupied with Jeremy. “Thank you. For everything.”

“All in a day’s work,” he hummed, nodding to Geoff. He clapped Ray on the back, and he hugged Michael before striding over to the Fake’s boss. “You ever need anything, we’ll be here in a fuckin’ heartbeat. Alright?”

Geoff smiled, pulling Kovic into a hug. He released him quickly, and his face grew serious. “Vagabond will be...paying a visit…to Mr. Shawcross very soon. Would you like to send someone with him when he’s ready?”

Adam’s lips pulled into a knowing smirk. “I’ve got just the woman.”

“I’ll let you know then.” Geoff stifled a yawn. “If you want to stay you’re welcome, man.”

“Nah. There’s some people waiting up for me.” Adam looked around the room. “Good luck. And...congratulations on being alive.” Jeremy said nothing. “See you all around.”

People said their quiet goodbyes; the door swung shut, and everyone was silent again. Geoff opened his mouth to speak, but he decided against it. The whiskey sloshed gently against the glass as he took one last drink. He left it on the table and made his way to his room; Michael watched him leave before saying goodnight to Ray and following suit. He paused behind Jeremy and laid his hand on his shoulder.

“Glad you’re alive,” Michael rasped quietly, throat raw from crying. He hesitated before leaning to hug Jeremy’s neck from behind. He closed his eyes to keep tears from spilling. Jeremy lowered his head to nuzzle against Michael’s arm. Michael slipped away and gave a soft smile to Gavin before making his way to his and Geoff’s room.

Ryan picked up the bottle Geoff had abandoned on the table. He sniffed it and made a face, before standing slowly and walking it back into the kitchen. There he left it on the counter for someone else to deal with in the morning. He cracked open the fridge and took a diet coke, popping the top. He kept his eyes trained on Jeremy, both worried for him and curious about his sudden inability to stay dead.

“Gav,” Jeremy hummed, tearing his eyes away from the point he’d fixated on now. His gaze settled on his lover’s face. “Can we go to bed?” His voice was small.

“Sure thing, love,” murmured Gavin. He stood up and pulled Jeremy with him slowly. “Easy there.” Once Jeremy was steady, they headed toward their room. “Go on. Can you get changed?” Jeremy nodded, moving toward the closet. Gavin stepped out of the doorway, and he looked back at Jack, Ryan and Ray. “You all get some sleep, alright?”

“We will.” Jackie was moving toward Ryan, and Ray had begun crossing the room as well. They clearly had more important matters to discuss.

Gavin stepped back into their room, watching Jeremy attempt to gently pull a shirt over his torso. He bared his teeth as he moved, and once the shirt fell he gasped. His eyes swam with tears, and he could feel blood seeping into the bandages. He stepped into sweatpants, which wasn’t much easier, and bit his lip hard to keep from crying out. Jeremy stumbled back towards the bed and fell onto it. He pulled himself up and slid into the sheets, trembling as his chest screamed with pain. Gavin climbed into the bed, clicking off the lamp before facing his lover.

“I thought I lost you today,” he murmured, reaching out to take his hand. His thumbed over Jeremy’s knuckles, trying shake that feeling that this wasn’t real. It shouldn’t be real. They should all be awake right now, planning his funeral. And yet, he was living, breathing right beside him. Gavin’s brain ached as it raced to find an explanation, even now in the quiet of their room.

“I love you.” Jeremy looked up softly at Gavin. Despite his ragged and exhausted appearance, his eyes were warm and a smile pulled lightly at his mouth. “I do.”

Gavin combed his fingers through Jeremy’s hair and pressed kiss to his forehead. “I love you, too.” The words ghosted over his skin, and Jeremy shivered. He closed his eyes as Gavin left feather-light kisses over his cheek down to his shoulder. “What was it like?” he asked softly. His voice shook with uncertainty, like he didn’t want to know the answer. “Dying. Was it scary?”

He knew he should lie, should say it was like falling asleep. Briefly, a joke rose in his throat, something dumb to ease the mood. But then Jeremy thought of the blood bubbling in his mouth, warm and bitter and drowning him. He remembered the way his chest felt like someone had dug their fingers in and ripped it open. The pain had been white hot until he’d gone unconscious and, finally, died.

“Yeah,” he finally confessed. “It was.”

* * *

 

The next morning, Jeremy jerked awake with gasp, sitting up straight with eyes wide and sweat slicking his body. His chest burned from the sudden movement, and his ears were ringing. Slowly, he started to collect himself, hands grabbing fistfuls of the sheets to ground himself in reality. He closed his eyes to steady his breathing, but the pain in his chest made pops of color swirl in the darkness. He gritted his teeth and reached out to wake up Gavin, but beside him was only an empty space. Jeremy growled in frustration, and he dragged himself out of bed, stumbling toward the kitchen. He could hear mumbling, but holy fuck, his chest felt like it was exploding. On the counter was the bottle of whiskey Geoff had been drinking; Jeremy immediately snatched it up and took a heavy drink from it. Anything to ease his pain. He tried to reach up into the cabinet with their medicine, but the pull on his aching muscles made him cry out and curl in on himself. Luckily, someone heard him and came around the corner.

“Jeremy, you good?” It sounded like Michael, but his fucking ears wouldn’t stop _screaming_.

“Medicine. _Please_.” he hissed through his teeth. There were tears threatening to spill past his lashes. If it felt this bad to come back from the dead, Jeremy wasn’t sure it was worth it.

Michael didn’t respond with a smart comment, so he must have looked as bad as he felt. He heard him jog away and the distant sounds of glass bottles clinking together. Michael came back in and gave no warning when he plunged a needle into his arm. Jeremy barked out a loud ‘fuck’, but made no further complaint as Michael emptied the syringe into his blood. He shivered from his still-burning chest, and he prayed whatever Michael had just given him kicked in fast.

“Come here,” he said, voice gentler than Jeremy had ever heard it. He obeyed, letting Michael guide him to the couch where he laid down. “If you’re hungry, I’ll make you a smoothie, alright? They’re easy on the stomach so you should be able to keep it down, no matter how bad you’re hurting.” He looked him over. “Gavin went on a run to the docks with Geoff. They’re making sure Caboose is clean.” Jeremy nodded, some corner of his mind hoping that Joel stayed out of RT’s conniving bullshit.

“Thanks,” Jeremy mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Ray and Ryan leave?”

“Yeah, went back to their house after staying up with Jack. The topic of your fuckin’ resurrection was hot gossip for them.” Michael started to move toward the kitchen.

“Enough to keep them from sleeping? Gee golly, I feel so special.” Jeremy turned to look at the TV. The news was covering their heist, and it made him smile. They’d fucked the city and LSPD considerably and watching even the aftermath was gratifying.

“Listen, it’s not every day one of your best fuckin’ friends wakes up from, what, like five gunshot wounds?” The Jersey accent in Michael’s voice was prominent, and Jeremy laughed a little, even though it tore his chest to shreds. His laughter immediately turned into a grimace.

“If it makes anyone feel better, I much would have rather stayed dead than feel like this right about now,” he grumbled, scrubbing his face.

“Shut up,” Michael snapped, face dark as he walked over and shoved the smoothie in his face. “Look, Lil J, it’s not funny. Your ass was dead as a goddamn doornail, and you just fuckin’ bounced back from it like it’s no fucking big deal. It’s freakin’ us the fuck out. We lost your stupid ass and got you back all in, like, _hours_ , so I’d appreciate if you didn’t joke about stayin’ fucking dead.” Michael’s jaw was tight, and Jeremy nodded. “Now drink ya fuckin’ smoothie. That’s quality shit right there.”

Jeremy sighed, and he took a sip. Damn him, he was right. The smoothie was heavenly, and despite the brain freeze he suffered, he barely stopped to breathe. He smiled around the straw and gave an eyebrow raise of appreciation to Michael who rolled his eyes. Jeremy backed off long enough to ask, “So what are we going to do about--” He gestured vaguely to himself.

“I don’t know,” Michael said. He sat down in the chair, glancing briefly at the news before flicking his gaze back to Jeremy. “Ryan _really_ wants to overdose you.”

That made Jeremy sputter on his smoothie. “Just when I thought we were getting along,” he said dryly, trying to cover up the racing of his heart. Ryan wanted to kill him. Jeremy wasn’t sure he was going to be able to sleep tonight.

“He wants to see if you’ll come back again.” Michael rubbed his temples. “Gavin nearly slit his throat, and Jack looked like she was going to cut his dick off in his sleep, so don’t worry. ‘Project Walking Dead was denied heavily by all parties.’ Rye’s words, not mine.”

“Fucking Christ.” Jeremy was bewildered. He knew Ryan, comforted him when he had lost Ray and covered him in countless missions. It was well-known that Ryan was...different, but murdering a teammate as an experiment? Jeremy was suddenly very glad Ryan lived elsewhere now.

“Yeah. It scared Geoff. Fuck, it even scared _me_.” Michael looked up. “I know he’s a sick fuck, but damn really Rye?” He shook his head, looking back up at the news channel to distract himself. Jeremy set the smoothie aside. He hadn’t finished it, but he wasn’t sure he could right now.

An uneasy silence settled over the two lads, Jeremy turning his eyes back up to the coverage of the heist for a few moments. With a grimace, he looked down at his bandaged chest, dried blood patching the stark white of the gauze. He frowned, thinking about how he probably needed to change those and take some antibiotics.

The front door clicked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Michael and Jeremy both whipped their heads to look, though Jeremy immediately gritted his teeth from the strain on his muscles. Geoff stepped through the door, a spatter of blood on one side of his face. Gavin followed suit, hands and arms covered in streaks of blood as well; he immediately started toward the bathroom Jeremy paled, assuming the worst about Caboose.

“He’s clean,” Geoff called. Jeremy sighed, relieved, and Michael muttered ‘I knew it.’ “He’s a little bit banged up though, so we’ll be dealing with Ellis while he recovers. On the bright side, doubt he’ll even look in RT’s direction from here on out.”

“How’s Lil J?” Gavin shouted over the running water. Jeremy smiled.

“ ‘m alright. Had a rough start this morning.” He shifted to reach for the smoothie Michael had made him. “Thanks to Michael I am doped up and smoothied up.”

“Should’ve seen him this morning, Gav!” Michael was giggling. “He was pale as shit but his lips weren't. He looked like that three-eyed fucker from Monsters Inc.!”

Gavin started laughing. “Oh, when he got his face sucked off?”

Michael and Jeremy both burst into giggle fits. “Sure,” Jeremy cackled. “If you wanna put it like that.”

Geoff’s shoulders were shaking as he chuckled quietly to himself. He leaned over the kitchen counter before letting out his howling laughter. It made them all laugh a little louder, and the sting in Jeremy’s chest was barely noticeable. Michael wheezed out ‘got his face sucked off’ before laughing even harder. Jeremy’s smile was so big, his cheeks ached. It felt nice to forget everything for even just a little while.

Geoff came marching over from the kitchen, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He sat down and looked up at the television. He lifted the glass up and spoke around the edge, “They been covering this all day?”

Jeremy nodded. “Pretty much.”

Geoff grinned before taking a sip, leaning back into the chair with a sigh. “Always good when we get full coverage.” He closed his eyes, swirling his whiskey; the ice clinked gently against the sides. They all three sat in comfortable silence, watching the news anchors discuss the damage of their heist with grim faces. The sound of running water where Gavin was scrubbing his arms clean provided white noise that Jeremy started to doze off to.

“Hey, Michael, you and Rye have that new body armor deal with KF, don’t you?” Geoff muttered, taking another slow sip.

“Shit, you’re right.” Michael stood up, taking a step over to steal a kiss from his lover. “Think we should take Jack, too?”

Geoff thought for a minute before nodding. Michael left without another word, and he knocked on Jack’s door. Jeremy shifted slightly, eyes closing as he drifted off for good.

_“Oi, Lil J.”_

Jeremy grunted, shifting slightly. Something touched his arm, and his eyes flew open; he snapped to attention, balling his fists up and whipping around to identify the person laying hands on him.

“Shh, Jeremy, easy. It’s just me.”

Gavin came into focus, and Jeremy reached out to touch his face, slowing his breathing. “Sorry.” He swallowed thickly, letting out a sigh to steady his shaking. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Gav smiled softly, leaning forward to kiss his cheekbone. “You’ve been out for a while, love. Whatever Michael gave you worked like a charm.”

Jeremy turned to look out of the windows, and he saw the brilliant oranges of setting sun. He raised his eyebrows in surprise before rubbing his eyes. “ ‘m sorry. Didn’t realize I fell asleep.”

“You probably need it.” Gavin sat down on the floor in front of the couch as Jeremy laid down so they were eye-level; he reached out and ran his hand through Lil J’s hair, smiling softly at him. Gavin’s blue eyes were shifting, and Jeremy twisted his face.

“You want to say something.” It wasn’t a question. More of an observation. Gavin chewed his lip.

“Can’t bloody hide anything from you,” he teased.

“Well, I like to think I know you pretty well,” Jeremy responded, grinning at his lame attempt at sarcasm. “So fess up. What is it?”

Gavin eyed Jeremy for a long moment. Jeremy waited as the wheels in Gav’s brain cranked into overdrive, obviously deciding whether or not to tell the truth or say anything at all. Finally, a decision was made. “Let’s move out.”

Jeremy shook his head slightly. “I--what?”

“Like Ray and Ryan. Let’s get a place of our own.” Gavin shifted closer, opting to stop petting Jeremy’s head and give his hands a squeeze instead. “I just...I want to…” He sighed, looking down as he gathered his words. Gavin looked back up and his face was serious. “I love you, Jeremy. More than I ever thought I would. And I almost lost you. Well, technically, I did. And I know neither one of us intend on leaving the Crew. This is our life. But...I do want to have some semblance at normalcy. I want us to have a home, just the two of us. I want to spend my time with you constantly. And while I love the Crew…” Gavin trailed off, looking around. He dropped his voice. “I’m really tired of being quiet when we’re shagging.

At that, Jeremy burst out laughing, curling in on himself despite the pain. Gavin giggled, watching Jeremy’s face light up with pure delight.

“What I’m saying, J,” he began again, a loving smile on his face. “Is I just want _you_. All to myself. And I want us to be like a little family. Despite, ya know, the murdering and what not.” Gavin’s eyes were dancing, the hope and excitement written plainly on his features. “What d’you think?”

Jeremy was quiet, inspecting Gavin as he thought. Their lives were dangerous ones, and neither of them knew how much time they had left. Hell, they could step outside tomorrow and be gunned down. Jeremy had already used up one free pass. Next time might not be so favorable. And god, he loved Gavin. He wanted to wake up to his sleepy blue eyes every morning, wanted to hold him and laugh with him every day. Fuck, if he was being honest, he wanted to marry him. But he supposed an apartment would suffice for now.

“When can we start looking?”

* * *

 

It took them almost a week, but after bickering late at night and scrolling through so many offerings, Jeremy thought he was going to die again, they picked a place. It was a beautiful apartment, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen. It even had a balcony. The complex was small, only two stories, but what it lacked in size it made up for in quality. All hardwood floors, granite counter tops, and the most gorgeous shower Jeremy had ever laid eyes on. It was pricey, though it hardly mattered to the two Fakes. They managed to sneak away one day to put down their deposit and pick up the keys. They spent the whole ride laughing and singing along to the radio, sparkles in their eyes as Gavin jingled the keys to remind him it was real.

When they waltz back into the penthouse, their good mood evaporates immediately. People are scattered around the room, some pacing, some sitting with their heads hung low, but it’s silent. Jeremy picks out Elyse and Jack sitting together, hands clasped tight as they mutter quietly to one another. Ray and Ryan are in their spots by the window, not speaking just sipping Diet Cokes as they are wont to do. Kovic is posted up with Bruce, Lindsay and Kdin by a map of Austin tacked hastily over top of the Los Santos map. Gavin looks at Jeremy, and they rush immediately over to Jack.

“What’s going on?” Gavin asked in a low voice. Something wasn’t right, and Jeremy felt lightheaded, fearing he knew the answer.

Jack looked up from Elyse’s fingers tangled with her own. Her cheeks were puffed and red, eyes nearly swollen shut from crying. Her lips were chapped, and her teeth chattered. The color drained from Gavin’s face. “Who?” he managed to choke out.

“Geoff.”

Gavin nearly crumbled. He gathered himself enough to sit down, but his limbs won’t obey him. His hand opened and he dropped the keys to the floor in a crash that’s nearly deafening in the silence. Tears slipped down his face wordlessly, and his eyes were dull. “No,” is all he breathed out. Jeremy picked up the keys and sets them on the table to try and distract himself. “Can I see him.” Gavin’s voice didn't obey him enough to form a proper question. It came out flat and monotonous as tears slid into the corners of his mouth. He was shivering.

“Michael is with him,” Jack whispered. “I--” She sucked in a heavy breath and tears start to fall again. She opened her mouth to finish her thought, but she can’t. Elyse rolled her sleeve over her fist and gently swiped at the tears falling.

“Who?” Jeremy felt cold all over. His throat was tight and his eyes were stinging.

“RT,” Elyse filled in softly. “Burnie.”

“Himself?”

Elyse nodded solemnly, murmuring to Jack who nods. She stood and crossed the floor to the kitchen where she grabbed a bottle of water. Elyse handed it to Jack before sitting back down and looking at Jeremy. “He went to meet with Adam earlier. They discussed the information Ryan and I got from Shawcross.” Jeremy nodded; he knew that much. “Then they left our place to go try to make a deal with some other small gang. Bolster our numbers.”

“Gang Grumps,” Jeremy supplied.

“Yeah. On the way, they got stopped at a light. Burns popped three right in his heart. Sniper rounds.” Elyse made a triangle over her chest. “Adam said he was dead before his head hit the dashboard.”

Jeremy reached up and touched his own healing chest. Geoff Ramsey, leader of the Fakes, shot dead in his car. He looked up and settled on Kovic; his stomach lurched when he saw there was still blood staining his skin and shirt. Jeremy felt like everything was slowed, like he was moving against ocean waves. His brain hadn’t even caught up enough to start crying. Gavin was motionless beside him, only able to cry while he sat there. Through their relationship, Jeremy had quickly learned that while Michael was his ‘boi’, Geoff was like a brother to him. They’d lived together for a very long time after Gavin had first jumped ship, and they had quickly become family. Geoff was really the only family Gav had, and now he was gone, murdered by one of Geoff’s oldest friends.

In their quiet mourning, Michael came out of Geoff’s room, freckled cheeks tear-stained and eyes cold and unforgiving. He snatched his keys off the kitchen counter, but Ryan marched over, shoulders hunched menacingly as he blocked the door.

“Move, Ryan,” he growled, voice hoarse.

“Can’t let you do that.”

“Get out of the way, or I shoot you.”

“That would be a very bad move.”

Michael reached into his waistband and snatched his pistol out, shoving the barrel in Ryan’s face. “I’m not gonna ask you, again, Haywood. Get out of my goddamn way.”

“So you can do what? Take on RT by yourself? Get yourself killed so we have two bodies to bury? I’ll be sure to pick the plot right next to Geoff.”

Michael fired. Everyone flinched back, and people scrambled to their feet. Jeremy reached for his gun to train it on Michael.

The only hole was in the ceiling. The Vagabond had snatched the barrel of the gun and jerked it upward at the last second, though the hesitation from Ryan’s end had caused the bullet to carve a bloody path along the side of his head. Michael’s teeth were bared, and his eyes were alight with rage. But as they stood there, the room holding their breath, his face slowly melted into agony. He was crying again, face buried in Ryan’s shoulder. The gun clattered to the floor as the Vagabond wraps his arms around Mogar.

Jeremy uncurled his hand from around his gun, lowering himself back onto the couch. Gavin is still shivering, but he manages to turn his head to look at Jeremy. His fingers twitch, and Jeremy takes it as a sign to grab his hand. They sit there in silence, grieving separately.

After about an hour, Trevor and Matt emerged from Geoff’s room, visibly shaken. Matt went to say something, but he immediately closed his mouth, scrubbing his face. Trevor raised his hand.

“I--” He took a deep breath. “You can go visit now.”

Jack, Gavin and Jeremy all rose slowly. Michael and Ryan converged with them on the walk to Geoff’s room. Jeremy closed his eyes and inhaled as he turns the handle. He opened his eyes.

“Christ, what’s a guy gotta do to get alcohol around here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, next chapter will likely be the last. Thank you all so much for sticking with me. It's been amazing. Be sure to subscribe to my AO3 if you want to see future content. Next one with probably be Micheoff so if that's your style, definitely keep an eye out.
> 
> Comment if you enjoyed. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave any feedback you have in the comments! And leave kudos if you enjoyed it!


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